Rystal
by DOKChairman
Summary: After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet. He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.
1. Misperceptions of the Mind

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me are the original characters and story.

**Author's Note:** I'll try to make this brief.  This is my first ever story, so please forgive me for it.  I am only writing this story because the idea has been plaguing my mind for months, and putting it on paper was the only way to stay sane.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

- Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 1: Misperceptions of the Mind

            For most everyone in the Uncharted Territories, the planet Rotar would have been considered just a normal commerce planet.  But for the human astronaut John Crichton, visiting a planet was still an extraordinary experience even after a little over two cycles in the Uncharted Territories.  It was the first time in a long time that a planet reminded him of his home, Earth.

            The planet was covered with large grassy plains, lush, green forest, and cool mountain areas.  There were large oceans with warm, sandy beaches.  The planet also had large, sprawling metropolitan areas as well, just like Earth.  And with a mild, temperate climate, the planet was perfect.  The only differences between Earth and Rotar were the enormous spaceport near the capital city, and of course the many alien species inhabiting the planet.

            The spaceport was a marvel of construction and ingenuity.  As large, if not larger than the capital city it was constructed next to, you could land a full command carrier in the space designated for landing.  Thousands of ships, of a multitude of different races and species, traveled to and fro from the spaceport daily.  The spaceport on Rotar was one of the largest and most heavily trafficked spaceports in the whole Uncharted Territories.  Fortunately, that meant that practically any part or item you could possibly need, could be found in the confines of the spaceport.  Unfortunately, being one of the largest spaceports in the area also meant that there was a large Peacekeeper presence on the planet.

            It is because of that Peacekeeper presence that gave Rotar its rather unique situation.  Rotar was not only the largest but it was also the only trade outpost in two sectors, not to mention the fact that it was within spitting distance of the Scarren's territorial boundaries, Rotar was very important to the Peacekeepers.  It was essential that they controlled the planet.  Unfortunately for the Peacekeepers, Rotar was well known for its hatred of the Peacekeepers, and there was a growing resistance movement amongst the more militant of the inhabitants.  

Yet despite the resistance movement, the Peacekeepers had not squashed it like they would for any other planet.  It was important that they maintained good relations with the planet's populace.  Despite their claims of technological superiorority and racial purity, the Peacekeepers needed the Rotarians to maintain the spaceport.  The Rotarians were well known for their shipbuilding skills, and the Peacekeepers needed those skills to repair and build their ships.  That was the reason for so many Peacekeepers; at any time there could be over 30,000 troops on the planet.  Most of them were stationed in garrisons across the planet, the largest one being in the Ryota Mountains, just a few metras south of the capital city.  The majority of the population hated the Peacekeepers but they didn't dare do anything against them.  They knew the Peacekeepers were just itching for a chance to increase their hold on the planet.  Which is why most of them don't care if a few of the Rotarian rebels are killed, but if the Peacekeepers ever tried anything major, the people would be up in arms.  That was something the Peacekeepers couldn't afford.

So the Peacekeepers patrolled the planet, always looking for some reason to increase their control over the planet.  They hated having some upstart, technologically inferior, alien race defying them.  Never mind that half of the rebels were Sebacean.

            The Peacekeepers had been a big worry for the crew of the Leviathan Moya, understandably John thought, when they were deliberating whether or not to come down to the planet.  Under most circumstances they would have hauled ass out of there faster than Rygel could have eaten a plate of Hynerian marjoules.  But they were in desperate need of fresh food, spare parts, and most importantly of all: replacement parts for Moya's amnexus systems.  They had been damaged over two weekens ago, and while Pilot thought Moya could successfully starburst one more time, he did not want to risk it unless it was absolutely necessary to do so.  So Moya had arrived at Rotar, and after the crew decided which was more dangerous, the populace that hated Peacekeepers or the Peacekeepers themselves, they decided that John and Aeryn would have an easier time trying to pose as Peacekeepers, or at least risk looking like them, than sending someone else down.  While they knew that there were many different aliens on the planet, they figured that the two Sebacean looking crewmembers would find it easier to blend into the crowd, than a Luxan Warrior and a Nebari.  The crew had thought it best that they go because the large number of Sebaceans living on the planet.

The one characteristic that truly set the planet apart from all the other planets that John had been to though was the alien species that lived on the planet.  While it is true that John had been to many planets where there were multiple species, he had never been to a planet that had an indigenous population that cohabitated with Sebaceans on an equal footing.  The indigenous species on the planet were extraordinary themselves.

Walking through the spaceport, John had seen many of the humanoid looking aliens.  Ranging from anywhere between six and nine feet tall, but only weighing, from what John could guess, about 200 pounds, the Rotarians had very lithe and slim bodies.  The Rotarians almost looked like they could be distant cousins to Wookies.  But if John had learned anything from the Uncharted Territories, it's that looks can be deceiving.  After careful study of the Rotarians, John determined that while they looked skinny and week, the aliens were actually quite strong.  If you looked past the short, colorful fur that covered their bodies you could see that they were rippling with muscles.  Muscles, John could only guess, capable of doing some serious damage.  The Rotarians were very imposing, with their solid black eyes and some truly wicked looking retractable claws on their forearms that came out of their wrists.  

It was with that thought in mind, that John became extra careful as he walked through the spaceport.  Being separated from Aeryn and on his own always made him a little more paranoid than normal.  He had uncharacteristically breezed through his part of the shopping assignment and dropped his purchases off at the pod.  He wanted to look around a little more, experience the Earth-like planet, but he knew that he didn't have the time to do any major sight seeing.  So he decided to find himself a bar.  He knew that that might not be a good idea, with his track record for attracting trouble and all, but a little more than one arn was just too long to wait in a transport pod.

            After ten minutes more of wandering, John decided that he had had enough and began to walk back towards the pod.  He remembered a bar that he had seen earlier when he first arrived and wanted to check it out.  It was near where they parked the transport pod, so if John got into trouble, he wouldn't have very far to run.

            As John stepped through the entrance to the bar he was struck by a sense of déjà vu.  All around the bar were aliens from different species.  John could see Delvians, Sebaceans, Rotarians, Sheyangs, and even some Luxans.  There were even some species that John had never seen before.  The air was smoky and the place smelled, badly.  The bar reminded him so much of the Mos Eisley Cantina scene from the movie Star Wars, it wasn't even funny.  They were even playing music that sounded like the music in the movie.

            Unfortunately, John was once again reminded of how alone he was out here in the Uncharted Territories.  No one on this side of the universe would ever understand any reference to that movie.  John just shook his head and laughed quietly to himself.  He searched the bar for a good table, one where he could have a good vantage point of the whole bar and where he wouldn't have to watch his back.  He saw the perfect table; it was nestled in a corner, and from there he could see the whole bar.  _Finally_, John thought, _I can relax and have a beer_.  He signaled a waitress, ordered fellip nectar, and waited for it to arrive.

            Former Peacekeeper Disruptor Juli Fallon could not believe her luck.  John Crichton, the most wanted man in the Uncharted Territories, had just walked into the bar she was currently visiting.  She had heard a rumor from one of her contacts that said the human might be on the planet, but she didn't think much about it.  She didn't think that John Crichton was the kind of man that would be stupid enough to come to a planet with such a large and heavily fortified Peacekeeper presence.  Obviously, she was wrong.  Or maybe not, if what her contact said was true.  He had said that he had overheard Crichton and his Sebacean companion discussing the situation of their Leviathan and its poor status.  _They must be really desperate_, she thought.

            Studying and learning all she could about the human had become somewhat of an obsession with her when she was still with the Peacekeepers.  After the incident on the Royal Planet, where John had met another Disruptor, Peacekeeper High Command decided that it would be a good idea for all their other agents to have a brief history of the human, in case any of them ever came into contact with him in the future.  She had taken her brief lesson and expanded it.  She just found him completely fascinating.  Because of her rather high status in the Peacekeeper hierarchy, she was able to gain access to all the information on John Crichton without garnering too much unwanted attention.  

Growing up in the Peacekeepers taught her to look down on deficient beings, yet her whole life she never really believed any of the dren they were telling her.  She had been exposed to too many different cultures, peoples, and ideas during her training to let the propaganda really sink its teeth into her.  She never thought that she was better than other people simply because she was a Peacekeeper and a Sebacean.  _It must have been something wrong in my genetic makeup_, she thought with a shrug.  Not that no longer being a Peacekeeper bothered her that much.  In the end that failure to embrace her Peacekeeper upbringing, cost her an old life but brought her a new one on Rotar. 

They had trained and taught her how to be the perfect soldier, so fighting and surviving came naturally to her.  She wanted to know how a man who was supposed to be a deficient and primitive being had managed to evade capture for more than two whole cycles from the Peacekeepers.  She wanted to know how he thought, how he fought, how he survived, in short she wanted to know everything about him.  Most importantly of all, she wanted to know if he would help the resistance.  She knew that the odds of him actually helping were very small, but it was too good an opportunity not to ask him.  She knew that his hatred of the Peacekeepers was legendary, and that if any one would know how to evade and defeat the Peacekeepers, it would be John Crichton.  She knew that before the day was over, she would get some answers.

            _I wonder what the frell he could possibly be doing here_, she thought.  And if that is him, then where are the rest of his friends.  She knew, from reading the Peacekeeper intelligence reports that he rarely, if ever, traveled without the female Sebacean and the Luxan warrior.  She scanned the bar from her table and did not see the aforementioned aliens.  _Interesting_, she thought, _very interesting_.

            She discreetly began to move closer to him so she could study him better.  _The physical description given by the intelligence briefings did not do him justice_, she thought.  He was much more attractive.  She could see that despite the long, black duster that he wore, that he had a very well muscled body.  Power and intelligence just oozed out of him in waves as she studied him.  He was easily one of the more attractive men she had ever seen.  The fact that he was an alien intrigued her even more.  

            She was also impressed with his ability to look relaxed and harmless, yet still manage to convey a feeling of alertness.  She could see how his eyes would scan the bar every few microts, looking for possible threats.  _He definitely cuts an imposing figure, especially with the black, Peacekeeper like uniform he's wearing,_ she thought.  Unfortunately for him, the bar they were in was well known for its anti-Peacekeeper patrons.  And he certainly looked like a Peacekeeper, especially with that pulse pistol strapped to his thigh.

            She was going to have to talk to him, warn him about the aliens before anything bad happened.  The last thing she wanted was to have some drunk pick a fight with him because he looked like a Peacekeeper.  Any confrontation would surely chase him away before she got a chance to talk to him.  However, if she did talk to him, she knew her cell leader, Kwami, was not going to like it, but she didn't really care.  She knew Kwami would not want her to expose herself, but for some weird reason that she could not explain, she just felt that there was a connection between John and her and she had an overwhelming feeling to protect him.  And she admitted to herself with a smile, she also had an intense desire to do things to him, which had nothing to do with wanting to protect him.  With that last thought in mind she began walking to his table.

            _Finally_, John thought, _I can relax and just drink a beer_.  No Harvey, which was a rare enough occurrence that John wanted to savor it, to worry about, no Moya to worry about, at least not for the time being, and no Aeryn getting on his ass about this or that.  Nothing to worry about except running out of fellip nectar.  _Speaking of which, I need another one_.  He raised his hand to signal one of the waitresses to come over, but they ignored him.  _Hey!  What gives?_ He asked himself.  He wasn't really in the mood to make a scene, so he decided to go up to the bar itself and order another round.  As he was standing, a woman suddenly appeared in front of his table.  His hand immediately slid down to the hilt of his pulse pistol, Wynonna, as he studied the girl.

            Standing at just about eye level, the Sebacean girl, and she was a girl, she could only be about 20 cycles old, had shoulder length, dark blonde hair.  With strikingly beautiful facial features, large, expressive green eyes, a slim and lithe figure, and an air of confidence permeating her body, she was easily one of the most attractive women John had ever seen.  Her beauty momentarily stunned him.  _Damn it John, snap out of it!  You_ _can't let yourself be distracted and misled by a pretty face.  She just snuck up on you out of nowhere, which takes skill.  Skill a normal, harmless, girl shouldn't have,_ John berated himself.  While John was certainly no soldier, he had learned more than enough things in the Uncharted Territories to keep himself alive.  One being an acute sense of your environment, and this girl had just completely overruled that sense.  _Be careful John_, he warned himself.

            "Damn it kid!  Don't sneak up on people like that, it's a good way to get yourself killed," John said in a tight voice.  He began to scan the room, looking for possible escape routes if the situation suddenly went sour.

            Juli looked chagrinned as she apologized for her sudden arrival, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you, but I thought you saw me, you were looking in my direction."  Juli could tell that John did not believe her, as he had yet to move his hand away from his weapon.  She realized that she needed to calm John down and get him to listen to her.  "Look, I notice that you're almost out of fellip nectar.  Why don't you let me buy the next round as a way of apologizing?"

            John, never one to pass up a free beer no matter what the situation, reluctantly acquiesced to the girl's proposal.  "Sure kid, fine.  Then maybe you can tell me how you managed to come out of nowhere like you did."

            Juli gave John a big smile as she saw him agree to her placating gesture.  John gave her a little smile in return as he sat back down.  Juli turned to a nearby waitress and ordered two fellip nectars.  

As she was turning back towards John, she noticed out of the corner of her eye, an unusually large Rotarian male coming through the bar's entrance.  _Frell!  What is Kwami doing here?_  She wondered worriedly.  _Kwami must have followed me here.  It is the only way that he could have found me so fast._  _If John found out about everything too soon, she knew he would not agree to help them and he would leave the bar, and soon thereafter the planet.  She needed him to trust her first, and then she could tell him about the resistance.  Kwami was going to ruin everything; he was going to blow her cover._  She began to panic as Kwami started walking right towards her.  Of course anyone looking at her would not have seen any emotion cross her face, she was too well trained to let that happen.

She could see that Kwami was very angry as he looked at John and then as he looked at her.  She could see his talons extend out of his wrists as he walked towards them, a sure sign that a Rotarian was very upset.  _Frell!_  She needed to get him to leave.  John was already wary enough after she surprised him, the last thing she needed was for him to see an angry Rotarian stalking towards him.  

Unfortunately for Juli, John did see the large, very angry Rotarian coming towards him.  You would have to be blind not too.  He could see that the Rotarian was looking at the girl standing next to John, and for some reason that was angering the Rotarian.  John carefully released Wynonna from her holster as he eased out of his chair.  John quickly looked towards the bar and saw a door that John could only assume led to a kitchen.  And if there's a kitchen, there's a good bet that's its got a door that leads outside.  John shifted his balance to the balls of his feet, prepared to run at the slightest aggressive action.  John had no desire to test his theory about the strength of the Rotarians firsthand.  John did not know why the Rotarian was so mad at him, and he did not want to wait around to find out.

John stole a quick glance toward the girl that was still standing next to him.  He could see something in her eyes that told him that the Rotarian and her were not strangers.  John immediately got angry, thinking that this was some kind of setup.  When the Rotarian was about fifteen feet away, John turned to the girl and asked her in an accusatory tone, "What the hell is going on here?"

The girl turned her head away from the oncoming Rotarian, and gave John a sad and pleading look.  "Uh…. I can explain everything.  Just put your gun away and relax."  She paused for a second as she looked back to the oncoming alien.  "Whatever you do, don't make any sudden moves, it'll only make him madder."

John got an incredulous look on his face as he looked at the alien who was only about six feet away now.  "Madder!!  Kid, the only way that guy could get any madder is if his face gets all red and smoke starts coming out of his ears.  And seeing how we ain't living in a cartoon, I don't see how that's gonna be possible.  But I'll trust you and take your word for it."  John had no intention of relaxing and letting down his guard, but something in the girl's voice made him hesitate.  With a loud sigh and the thought that he was probably really going to regret his decision, John sat back down.  But he did not put his gun away.  He wasn't that trusting.

Juli visibly relaxed when she saw that John had actually listened to her and sat back down.  She was actually mildly surprised, and she could see that John was surprised at himself, when he had sat down.  She noticed that he still had his gun out.  She wanted to tell him again to put it away, but she knew pressuring him into doing something he obviously didn't want to do would only make the situation worse.

  With one problem taken care of, she reluctantly turned towards the oncoming Rotarian.  She began to move towards Kwami, so as to move out of John's hearing range.  She definitely did not want him to hear what she was about to say, at least not yet.  It was a very delicate situation she was about to get herself into.

Rotarians have a very different social structure than most species.  Their society is based on an individual or group that dominates everyone else.  In Juli's case, Kwami was the dominant personality in her organization, the resistance, or Rystalva, as the Rotarians called it.  It was one of the few things that Rotarians respected over all other things, strength.  Juli knew she was going to have show strength in order to calm Kwami down, or he would never listen to her when he was this mad.  It was not something she was going to relish, she really liked Kwami and hated having to use her old skills as a Disruptor, but it had to be done if she was going to get John to trust her.  Luckily for her, showing strength doesn't always mean physical violence.

As soon as Juli stopped right in front of Kwami, he hissed out in his low, gravelly voice, "What are you doing here?  You were supposed to be meeting our contact in the spaceport's advisory council."  Kwami then looked over to John, still sitting at his table facing them, "And what the frell are you doing talking to that Peacekeeper?  You know you are not allowed to talk to any Peacekeepers without permission from me first."

Juli was a little shocked and hurt that Kwami had come to a conclusion so fast on her reason for being in the bar.  Her shock soon turned to anger, however.  Juli began in an accusatory tone, "You were following me.  Why the frell would you do that?"

"Do not try to change the subject Juli Fallon.  Our contact on the advisory council went to great lengths to arrange a meeting with our group, and now you have not only jeopardized him but our entire group by not meeting him."  Kwami paused to gather himself.  He did not want to become too angry that he made an even bigger scene than he already had.  Unfortunately, he could feel himself losing control over his emotions.  "Toben said that you could not be trusted.  He said that you would betray us.  I stood up for you and defended your honor.  I told him that you were the most loyal and honorable Sebacean I had ever met."

The entire time during Kwami's speech, Juli's resolve to explain her position weakened.  She began to feel guilty that she had missed the meeting.  She had no idea that so much time had passed since the human came into the bar.  When Kwami started to talk about her loyalty, she had to speak up.  "Kwami, I have not betrayed your trust, or that of the group's.  I am as loyal to you as I have been since I first joined you over half a cycle ago.  I can explain everything.  That man …"

Juli never got a chance to finish her sentence as Kwami interrupted her.  "Enough!  I do not want to hear your excuses.  I swore on the soul of the Rystal that you could be trusted.  I chose you to join us.  Do you have any idea what kind of position you have put me in?  I am no longer worthy enough to be Prime.  My honor is now worth as much as yours.  Toben was right about you Peacekeeper!"  With that epitaph, Kwami struck Juli across the face, knocking her to the floor.  

Kwami did not know what had come over him.  Seeing Juli with that Peacekeeper had made him so angry.  That she would carelessly ignore her duty and obligation to the Rystalva, in order to talk to some…frelling Peacekeeper, made him angry enough to kill.  He would never kill Juli, he owed her too much, but he had no problem with killing the Peacekeeper.

During the entire confrontation between the Sebacean girl and the male Rotarian, John had been warily watching the scene unfold.  He had still yet to put Wynonna away, and for good reason.  Any one watching the Rotarian could see that he was a powder keg just waiting to explode.  

From the body language of the two individuals he could tell that their argument was about him.  John immediately felt guilty that the girl was getting in trouble for talking to him.  He also felt guilty that he had initially thought that there was some sort of set up between the two, but he realized that there is no way the Rotarian could be acting with all that anger coming out of him.

John was torn.  He wanted to help the girl, yet he didn't want to get involved in anything.  He knew the others would not be very pleased if he got into any trouble, especially Aeryn.  She had practically ordered him not to do anything stupid and unnecessary.  Fortunately for John, or unfortunately depending how you look at it, the decision was taken out of his hands.  When the Rotarian hit the girl, John's southern sensibilities instantly kicked in.  His father had taught him that you never hit a woman, and there was no way John was going to let this girl get beat just because she talked to him.

Kwami was still towering over Juli, when the full weight of what he had just done hit him full force.  He immediately became ashamed.  No matter what Juli had done, it was dishonorable and cowardly to strike a defenseless and unequal opponent.  Juli was also a friend, and to strike a friend was a very dishonorable act.  He also knew that he had overreacted to the whole situation.  He was about to apologize, and help Juli back to her feet, when he felt the barrel end of a pulse pistol pressed against his lowered head.

"Look buddy, unless you want a hole in your head the size of a grapefruit, I suggest that you leave the kid alone.  If you want to hit somebody it should be me."  Kwami did not dare to turn his head to see who is assailant was, but he had a good idea of whom it was.  It had to be the Peacekeeper that Juli had been talking to.  Kwami was not only surprised that the Peacekeeper had come to Juli's defense, most wouldn't have cared, but also surprised that the Peacekeeper had just offered himself to take Juli's place in his anger.  Kwami was more than willing to oblige him.

"She is no child!  She is a Peacekeeper Disruptor.  Why do you defend her?"  Kwami growled out.

John was shocked speechless.  _That girl is a Peacekeeper Disruptor?  No way could she be a Disruptor.  She was too young…  Yet he could tell the Rotarian genuinely thought the girl was a Disruptor, and she did sneak up on him_.  Maybe he's right.  Without really thinking, John shifted his gun towards the girl, subconsciously thinking her the more dangerous target.  "Whoa!  She's a Disruptor?"

Kwami was confused.  The man sounded as if he did not know of Juli's background, yet why would he be talking to her if he did not know.  Kwami let the tension ease out of his body as he slowly turned to face the Sebacean.  He could see that the gun that was previously pointed at him was now pointed at Juli.  This confused Kwami even more.  "You did not know she was a Disruptor?"

John still kept his gun leveled at the girl as he turned his head towards the large Rotarian.  "Know?  Hell no I didn't know.  Believe me if I had known that she was a Peacekeeper Disruptor the last thing I would have done is sit down and have a drink with her.  In fact I should get the hell out of here right now.  There is no telling when more of them might show up.  Damn Peacekeepers are like cockroaches, no matter how many you squash, more just keep on comin'."

"I do not understand.  You are Sebacean, are you not a Peacekeeper as well?"

John let out a harsh laugh, "Me, a Peacekeeper?  Hell no.  Can't stand the bastards."

By this time both John and Kwami were ignoring Juli, who was still lying on the floor of the bar.  Juli was lost.  She did not know what to do.  If she wanted she could probably leave, the two males were so engrossed with each other they wouldn't have noticed if a frag grenade went off right next to them.  In a way that was good, it meant that Kwami and John were somewhat getting along.  It was bad as well, because the conversation was certainly not in her favor.  

However, Juli knew that if she left, her life on Rotar would be over.  She would always be remembered as a traitor to the resistance.  She would have to move on, and Juli hated having to change her life.  She was just getting used to this planet.  She would just have to wait until Kwami calmed down and plead her case.  With a course of action chosen, she stood up and turned her concentration back over to the two men beside her.

            John was putting his pulse pistol away.  Juli could tell from the way they were acting that they had come to some sort of understanding.  She heard John speak up, "Look Chewy, can I call you Chewy?  Anyways, I don't want any trouble.  I just have a problem with guys who hit women.  I blame it on my Southern upbringin'.  Whatever your business is with the kid, is just that, your business.  I'm sorry for butting in.  I just want to sit at my table for the next few minutes and relax before I have to leave.  So I'm just going to mosey on over there ok, and leave you and the kid alone."  With that said, John slowly began to walk towards his table.  He was still a little wary around the Rotarian.

            John had taken about two steps; when the Sebacean girl blurted out, "Wait!  John Crichton!"

            John instantly froze.  _How the hell did she know my name?_  It was at that instant that Harvey decided to make his first appearance of the day.  Harvey was dressed in an outfit very similar to the outfits one of his old college professors used to wear.  Harvey started making a tut-tut sound as he circled John.  "Really John, I am rather disappointed in you.  I would think it rather obvious how she knows who you are.  She is a Peacekeeper, a Disruptor at that.  I'm sure that after your little adventure on the Royal Planet, High Command made it mandatory for all Special Directorate personnel to know who you are.  Besides, you must not forget.  You are the most wanted man in the Uncharted Territories.  I am sure she is not the only one in this bar that knows who you are."

            John was not in the mood for Harvey's typical unique perspective on things.  "Shove it Harv.  I'm not in the mood for your usual antics.  Like my grandmother used to say, 'If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all.'"

            "Oh!  I'm sorry John.  How could I have been so rude?"  Harvey gave John a lascivious smile, and John frowned in response.  Harvey, seeing that John really was not in the best frame of mind at the moment, decided to get while the going was good.  "I see that you are obviously too busy to bother with me, so I'll leave.  But one more tidbit of advice before I go, don't trust that girl John.  She deceives people for a living."  With that last kernel of wisdom, Harvey disappeared.

            John sighed in relief.  He really didn't have time to deal with the hybrid.  It was bad enough that he was in the middle of an argument between a Disruptor and a Wookie wannabe; he really didn't need to deal with a reject from a bad 1950's horror movie as well.

               While inside John' head the conversation with Harvey may have seemed like it took minutes, really only a few microts had gone by.  Which was good for John; he couldn't afford to be seen as crazy right now.

            Now that his conversation with Harvey was over, he turned towards the girl that had called out his name with an icy glare.  He stalked up to the girl and growled out, "How do you know my name?  Are you really a Disruptor like Chewy said?  I do not like it when strange people know who I am; they're usually trying to kill me."

            Kwami was intrigued by this turn of events.  **_The_**_ John Crichton?  _Kwami was surprised._  He had thought for sure that the most wanted man in the Uncharted Territories would have been more…formidable.  He had never actually seen a picture of the man before, he was more interested in resistance tactics than interstellar politics, but he had heard many of the deeds perpetrated by the man standing in front of him.  He could not believe that this frail looking individual was the one responsible for destroying an entire Peacekeeper Gammak Base and a Shadow Depository.  However, if this man was indeed the real John Crichton then he could be of monumental assistance to the Rystalva._

First things first though, Kwami had a subordinate to take care of.  _However_, Kwami thought with some humor, _the human was doing a rather good job of that himself_.  Kwami looked at Juli, and for the first time since he has known her, he saw panic and fear in her eyes; which surprised him.  He could see that it had nothing to do with her being harmed, he knew Juli more than well enough to know that she did not fear death, but more to do with rejection.  He could see that she was genuinely afraid of being rejected by the man standing in front of her.

            _Juli could not believe how quickly things had gone wrong.  One microt John was defending her, the next he was threatening her with a gun.  This was definitely not the way she wanted her first impression to go_.  She looked into John's blue eyes and saw nothing but anger.  She quickly needed to regain John's trust.

            "Kwami is only partially correct John.  I used to be a Disruptor, but I left the Peacekeepers six monens ago.  That is how I know who you are.  I sort of made it my goal in life to learn everything I could about you."  Juli could see John begin to waver a little, so she pressed her advantage.  She gave John a look that in the past had weakened most men and made them do what she wanted. It was a very handy tool in her former line of work.  "Please John you have to believe me.  I am not a Peacekeeper anymore."

            John wanted to believe the girl, he really did.  But he had been through too much in the last two cycles to believe her.  His mind had been frelled with too much already.  "I'm sorry Kid, really I am, but I don't believe you.  You don't expect me to actually believe that a Disruptor would ever leave the Peacekeepers, do you?  If you really had studied me then you should know that I would not believe a word you just said."  

            Juli felt like she was drowning.  Things just continued getting worse.  Not only had her usually potent charms failed to even get John' attention, but now it seemed that John would refuse to even listen to any thing she said.  Fortunately, Kwami came to her rescue.

            "Juli is telling you the truth, John Crichton.  I was confused and angry when I said she was still a Peacekeeper.  I misspoke.  I see now that I was wrong to question her loyalty.  She was right to speak to you, for we could use your assistance."

            If possible John was even more confused than before.  "Wait.  Now you're saying she's not a Peacekeeper."  At the large Rotarian's answering nod, he continued.  "Okay, let me get this straight.  She used to be a Peacekeeper Disruptor, but she left them six monens ago and joined up with your group that is rebelling against the Peacekeepers.  Does that about sum it up?"

            Kwami responded, "You are correct in your assessment, John Crichton."

            John let out a loud sigh as he began walking back to his table.  The whole time muttering to himself, "I can't believe this.  Why does this stuff always happen to me?  What did I ever do to the Universe?"  After he reached his table, he sat down still muttering about how much the Universe hated him. 

            Kwami and Juli exchanged a look as they stared at John's strange behavior.  Kwami turned to Juli and said, "He seems…mentally unstable.  Is he supposed to act like this?"  

            Juli's face had a small grin as she replied to Kwami's question.  "I don't know.  The reports never mentioned that he might be fahrbot."  

            Kwami shrugged the question of John's competence off, his fur rippling across his body like small waves.  "It does not matter.  We must talk to him about gaining his assistance.  He could be of great value to the Rystalva."  He saw Juli's affirming nod and they began to move towards John and his table.  Halfway there, Kwami reached out his hand and laid it gently on Juli's shoulder.  At Juli's questioning look, he began to apologize for his earlier actions.  "I am sorry I questioned your loyalty and that I struck you.  You are a trusted ally and a friend.  My actions were dishonorable and I ask for your forgiveness."

            Juli smiled at Kwami, letting him see with her eyes as well as her words that she forgave him.  "It is alright Kwami.  I forgive you and I apologize for missing the meeting with our contact.  It's just when I saw John, I…"

            "It is okay Juli, I understand.  You were right to want to talk to him.  Come let us go talk to our new friend." 

            Aeryn Sun, former Peacekeeper Commando, was not happy.  In fact if one were to take a close look at her, they would probably say she was downright miserable.  She was not miserable because the spare parts needed for Moya to become fully functional were difficult to acquire, and she was not miserable that she continually received rather nasty glares from the various aliens in what could only be assumed was a very unfriendly, to Peacekeepers at least, part of the spaceport, she could even say she was not miserable because of the unusually warm weather the planet of Rotar seemed to be having, but what was making her miserable was that she was very worried about her human companion, John Crichton.  And that worrying irritated her more than any heat could.

            Ever since they had come down to this Peacekeeper infested planet, she had had what John called rattlers in her stomach.  Peacekeepers would have called this feeling her body's well-trained instinct for seeking out danger, but she liked John's description better.  She couldn't explain this feeling, and that only added to her frustration.

            She would deny it to John until the day she died, but she absolutely hated being separated from him when they were at places like this commerce planet.  Since the first day she had met him, she saw it as her personal obligation to protect him and watch out for him.  And the fact that he seemed to get into the most trouble whenever she wasn't around only added to her desire to accompany him whenever he went someplace.  

            Of course she knew that her need to protect John wasn't entirely for John's benefit.  Keeping John safe was just one of the many defense mechanisms that she used to protect herself.  It was because of John that she even had the urge to protect somebody in the first place.  The thought never would have even entered her mind if she were still a Peacekeeper.

            It was times like this when she was bogged down by worry and her still new emotions threatened to overwhelm her that she almost wanted to hate John.  Of course she knew that she could never do that.  She was completely in love with him, and she needed him like she had never needed anybody before in her life.  She just wished John were with her, so that she could make sure he was safe.  It was with that thought in mind that she began to hurriedly walk back towards the docking area with the transport pod.

            "You want to me do what?" John exclaimed as he looked at his two companions incredulously.

            "We want you to help us fight the Peacekeepers," Kwami stated as if it was the most normal thing a person could say in a conversation.

            "You're crazy, you know that.  You're frelling crazy!  I don't know what kind of things you have been hearing about me, but there's no way having me help you is going to do you any good.  Trust me, I'll only make things worse for you guys."

            Kwami finally began to become more passionate as he began to question John.  "Are you not the John Crichton who destroyed a top secret Gammack Base?  Are you not the John Crichton who destroyed a Shadow Depository?  Are you not the John Crichton that has defied all the odds and evaded capture by the Peacekeepers for more than two cycles?  If you are not this man than we have been wasting our time."

            John could see what Kwami was trying to do.  He was trying to appeal to his pride.  "Look, I am the guy you're talking about."  Kwami began to open his mouth to speak but John raised his hand to quiet him.  He continued, "Did I do all those things?  Yes, I did.  But I'm not Rambo and I didn't do all those things alone.  I had a Luxan warrior and a former Peacekeeper Commando to help me.  They are the ones who might be able to help you, not me.  They are soldiers; I'm just a scientist."  John hoped that was enough to put these people off.  Unfortunately, as usual, he wasn't that lucky.

            Kwami studied John carefully.  He could see in him that despite John's claims to the contrary, he had a warrior's spirit.  Kwami knew he had to, or else he would not have been able to survive as long as he had.  Normally, Kwami would have stopped trying to convince any other person to join the Rystalva long ago.  He did not want unwilling or undedicated people in his group.  However, John was different.  He was too valuable to let go and he believed that John was not as reluctant as he claimed to be.

            Kwami decided to change tactics on John.  "Do you not hate the Peacekeepers?"

            John was surprised by the Rotarian's question.  He was expecting more arguing.  "Of course I hate the Peacekeepers.  They have done nothing but make my life a living Hell since the first microt I got here."

            For the first time since sitting down with the human, Juli opened her mouth to speak.  "Then help us John.  Please!  You're assistance to the resistance would be invaluable.  Not only are you a scientist but you also have practical knowledge on how to fight the Peacekeepers."

            John did not like how Juli kept calling him by his first name.  It was unnerving how she seemed so familiar with him, since they only met three quarters of an arn ago.  He had more important things to worry about though, like getting these people to leave him the frell alone.

            "I sympathize with your cause.  Really, I do.  And I wish I could help you, but I can't.  I am not a fighter and I don't like killing people.  I have a home on Moya, with friends and a woman that I love very much.  A woman, by the way, who would probably kill me if she knew I was having this conversation with you right now."

            Kwami saw an opening in John's argument and decided to exploit it.  "What about my home John Crichton?  Do I not deserve to live in peace with my friends and my mate as well?"

            John was caught off guard by Kwami's question and sputtered, "Of course you do.  That is the right of all intelligent life."

            Kwami's passion and anger increased as he continued.  "What right?  The Peacekeepers have taken that right away from me.  They enslave my people, they force us to work on their ships and build their instruments of death and oppression.  They killed my mate and stole my child away from me.  They oppress my people and kill us without cause.  They lie to the people and blame the deaths on the Rystalva, but we know the truth.  They must be stopped John Crichton, and you can help end their rule over us." 

            _Frell!  Frell!  Where is he?_  Aeryn could not find John, and she was really beginning to worry.  She had made it back to the transport pod expecting John to be there, but he was nowhere in sight.  Normally, this would not have worried her as much, but the bad feeling she had been having all day was getting worse.  She was actually beginning to panic.  

_Frell Crichton and these damn emotions_, she thought angrily.  Panic was something she would never have had to deal with if she was still a Peacekeeper.  "Why does he always do this me?"  She muttered to herself as she searched the area around the pod. 

_Think, Aeryn!  Where could he be?  Did he say anything about going someplace last time you spoke?_  Aeryn could not think of anything, and this frustrated her even more.  _If only I could talk to him.  Oh, frell!  Of course, the comms!  Frelling idiot; should have thought of that from the beginning.  _That's what panic does to you though.  Takes away your ability to think rationally.  She should have recognized the symptoms right away.

_Take deep breaths.  Calm yourself_.  Aeryn took four or five deep breaths as she waited for herself to calm down.  Once she was finally calm, she reached for the comms badge that was attached to her vest.

She spoke into it as calmly as she could.  There was no reason to embarrass herself any further.  She definitely did not want John to worry about something being the matter with her.  "John, are you there?  John?"

After a brief pause, a pause that seemed to last forever to Aeryn, John answered her call.  "Yeah, baby, I'm right here."

Aeryn let out the breath she had been holding.  _Thank Hezmana_.  Just hearing John's comforting voice calmed her fears.  She hoped that she would never stop hearing that voice.  However, after her fears were placated, she began to get angry at John for not being at the pod and making her worry.  "Where are you John?  I'm at the pod and you are not here." 

John responded to her question with a somewhat strained voice, "I'm sorry baby, but I kind of got…sidetracked."  Aeryn could hear a voice interrupt John and ask a question.  The voice was female.  Aeryn immediately felt a pang of jealousy as she realized John was talking to a woman.  _Stop it Aeryn!  You trust John; you know he would never do any thing with another woman. _ 

She didn't know what was wrong with her today, she was more tense and nervous than she had been in monens.  Not since John's mind had been taken over by Scorpius had she been this worried.  It had to be those damn rattlers that were causing her extreme emotions and moods.  She needed to find John and get off this frelling planet as soon as possible before she went completely fahrbot.  

Aeryn came out of her thoughts when she realized John was talking again.  "…not now Juli.  I told you already that I am not interested."  There was a brief pause and then John continued.  "Aeryn, I'm at some bar.  I don't remember the name, but it's only about a quarter of a metra from the pod.  You can't miss it.  I've got some business to finish, but I should be done by the time you get here.  I'll probably be waiting outside."

"Okay John.  I'm heading over there right now.  I'll be there in about 500 microts."

She heard John's distracted acknowledgement as she heard him begin to argue with the woman again.  Frell, she just hoped Crichton wasn't getting himself into trouble.

"You can't leave John,"  Juli said with determination, "I won't let you."

John immediately got angry.  "Like Hell you will!  If I want to leave, there's not a damn thing you or your talking carpet can do to stop me!"  John's hand slid down to the butt of his pulse pistol, just in case he had to use it.  Both Kwami and Juli noticed his little gesture.

John continued on his rant.  He was sick and tired of having aliens wanting something from him.  He was tired of being threatened and he was tired of being ordered around by them.  "I've sat hear and I've listened to your sob story, and I told you I sympathized with your cause, but I'm not interested.  So far I've tolerated you two, but my patience is wearing thin.  Leave now before I really start to get angry."  By the time John had finished he was standing up and drawing a lot of attention to himself.

John realized that he was making a spectacle and immediately began to calm himself down.  While he was still standing he felt a very strong grip on his arm.  He looked down to see Kwami's hand on his arm.  He was surprised by the strength.  He could tell that Kwami was barely squeezing, yet it felt like his arm was being crushed in a vise.  _I was right about the Rotarians being so strong after all_.  John didn't bother trying to get loose; he knew Kwami could break his arm without very much trouble.

Kwami growled at him in his gravelly voice.  John could tell he was not happy.  "Please sit down John Crichton.  Now!  You must sit down, Peacekeepers have just entered."

John's anger immediately vanished at the mention of Peacekeepers.  He sat down quickly, and looked at the bar's entrance.  Kwami was telling the truth; four Peacekeepers in full body armor had just come through the bar's entrance.  They seemed to be scanning the bar, looking for something… or someone.  Frell!  

John looked to his two companions and saw that they were as concerned as he was.  _Damn, he was going to need their help if he was going to avoid capture_.  _Fortunately it's in their best interest to help me.  They are being hunted by the Peacekeepers, just like I am._  

_Allright, John think of something.  Come on man, think of something.  Plan.  I need a plan_.  _Frell!_  For one of the few times in his life, John could not come up with any ideas. His mind was drawing a blank.  The only thing he could think of was that Aeryn was going to kill him for getting himself into this situation.

John was still trying to come up with an idea when Juli decided to solve the problem herself.  She quickly rose out of her seat and promptly sat down on John's lamp, straddling him and effectively blocking the view of both of their faces.  It was needless to say that John was very surprised and was about to tell her to get off him.  Juli could sense his tenseness and so she moved her mouth to whisper into John's ear.  "Relax John.  With me sitting here, the Peacekeepers can't see you face.  And were not drawing attention to ourselves.  To them we are nothing more than a drunk couple, enjoying themselves."  With that said, she began to kiss and nuzzle his neck.

John was trying to relax, he really was, but it was increasingly becoming difficult to do so.  Juli was making it very difficult not to be tense.  John was finding it difficult to control his body's reaction to what Juli was doing to him.  He wanted to tell Juli to get off him, but he knew Juli was right, the Peacekeepers would never care about two people just making out in the corner of a bar.  Unfortunately, his body was betraying him.

Sure, John knew he would never let the girl go any farther than what she was doing.  He loved Aeryn way too much to betray her like that, plus she was the one he wanted to be doing this kind of activity with.  But John was a man, and it had been so long since he had even been this close to another woman, that his body was responding on its own.  John knew he had to just try and ignore what was going on.

John moved his own mouth next to Juli's ear and asked her a question, "What about Kwami, won't they notice him?"

Juli meanwhile was thoroughly enjoying what she was doing to John's neck.  The sensations she was feeling from him responding to her and the way his breath and heart sped up were really starting to overwhelm her.  She had to remind herself to not think too much about this.  But it was so hard for her to do so.  She had no idea she was so attracted to him, until she started to kiss him.  She was so wrapped in what she was doing that she almost didn't hear what John asked her.

"No, they won't bother Kwami.  They try to avoid the native Rotarians as much as possible, especially the males.  Most of the Peacekeepers aren't stupid enough to bother them, because they know that most Rotarian males anger so easily.  And an angry Rotarian male is something no sane person would ever want to confront even when the Rotarian is outnumbered."

Juli heard John mumble a response but she didn't care.  She had long forgotten about the Peacekeepers and any flimsy excuse she came up with that allowed her to do what she was doing.  This was something she had thought about doing since the first time she read about John Crichton.  She knew that John did not care about her the same way she thought she cared about him, but that didn't concern her at the moment.  _There would be plenty of time to change his feelings later_, she thought with a smile.  And there would be a later, she would do everything she could to make it happen.

Aeryn walked as quickly as she could towards the bar, without drawing attention to herself.  She just wanted to find John and get off the frelling planet.  She knew she would feel so much better when she did.

As she was walking through the spaceport, she couldn't help but notice how diverse the planet was.  There were different aliens all over the place.  She couldn't believe that so many Sebaceans lived on this planet.   Most Sebaceans can't even stand being in the same room with a different species, let alone sharing an entire planet with them.

Aeryn was reminded of how much she had changed in the last two cycles.  All thanks to John.  Being amongst so many diverse species no longer bothered her at all.  In fact she actually enjoyed being exposed to so many different peoples and ideas.  It helped her to become a better person.  Something she was constantly working on.

Aeryn finally spotted the bar she was looking for across the street.  She was about to turn to cross to the other side, when she noticed four Peacekeepers come out of the bar and join three others that were waiting outside.  _Peacekeepers, dren_!  All the worry that had slowly begun to drift away suddenly came back to Aeryn in full force.  She immediately began to wonder if these Peacekeepers being so close to John were what were causing her rattlers.

She just hoped John was all right.  She saw the seven have a brief conversation, and then they left heading towards the landing pad.  Aeryn let out a sigh of relief that they didn't have John, and didn't seem to know where he was.  

Aeryn set off toward the bar with a determined pace.  She was going to grab John and leave.  She was not going to risk being detected by the Peacekeepers anymore.  It was already becoming too dangerous.

At reaching the door, she automatically slid one hand down to her pulse pistol, as her other hand opened the door.  

John was having trouble concentrating.  Juli was very distracting.  Fortunately for him, the Peacekeepers soon left after coming in.  They seemed to only make a cursory exam of the bar, which surprised John.  Usually Peacekeepers were more thorough than that.  _Maybe they weren't looking for me after all.  _Although, with John's paranoid nature, he didn't believe that for a microt.

John needed to stop what Juli was doing.  He moved his mouth to her ear and whispered that the Peacekeepers were gone and that she could stop.  With that said, he lifted his head to look at Kwami, and saw a very amused look on his face.  John knew that he thought that what Juli and him were doing would probably have been comical if he had seen someone else doing it.

Juli had yet to stop, and it was becoming annoying.  John was going to have to be more forceful.  "Juli, stop it now!  The Peacekeepers have left, you can stop."

Juli suddenly froze and she looked up at John with a very embarrassed look on her face.  "I'm sorry, I guess I just got too involved.  It was so much fun."  She gave John a very devilish smile as she said the last part.

Now it was John's turn to blush.  It wasn't very often that a beautiful woman was that into him.  He only wished that Aeryn could act like that sometimes.

"It's all right I understand.  I enjoyed it too, but it needs to stop."

Juli was a little disappointed that John didn't want to continue, but it wasn't unexpected.  He had a woman on board his ship after all, that he said he cared about.  _It must be the Sebacean woman_, she thought.  The reports briefly described their relationship.  She remembered reading that they were very loyal to each other.

It was as she was thinking about John's companion, that she was looking at the mirror over John's shoulder.  She noticed the door to the bar open, and saw a Sebacean female dressed all in black enter the bar.  She was worried that she might be another Peacekeeper, and was about to tell John because he could still not see the bar, when she thought she recognized the woman.  She studied her closely and it suddenly became clear to her that the woman was John's companion.  _What was her name?  Aeryn…Aeryn Sun, that's right.  _

Juli suddenly got an idea in her head, an idea that might help her and Kwami get what they wanted.  She was still sitting on John's lap, which was perfect for her plan.  She waited for Aeryn to look in their direction, and when she did, she immediately began to kiss John on his lips.  She could tell that John was very surprised and wasn't kissing her back.  

After about 10 microts, John pushed her off his lap and onto the chair next to him.  He looked at her with a very angry expression on his face.  "What the hell do you think you were doing?"

It was at the exact moment that John made his remark, that Aeryn made her presence known, except Aeryn made hers a lot louder.

"Crichton, what the frell are you doing?"


	2. It Wasn't Me!

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** I'll try to make this brief.  This is my first ever story, so please forgive me for it.  I am only writing this story because the idea has been plaguing my mind for months, and putting it on paper was the only way to stay sane.  This will be a rather long story; it's actually a trilogy.  This is just the first part of what I hope will be a decently entertaining epic in the Farscape universe.

**Second Author's Note:** This chapter is significantly shorter than the first one.  If anyone has any comments about this chapter specifically, or any chapter, please give me feedback.  

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

- Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 2: It Wasn't Me!

            John instantly froze at the sound of Aeryn's loud exclamation.  He felt like a dear caught in the headlights of a car.  He didn't know if he should run away as fast as he could, and save his life, or stay and let the car hit him, knowing that at least it would be over with quick.  

John knew that this was bad, very bad.  Aeryn did not take kindly to other women even looking at him.  There was no way she was going to be calm when a woman actually kissed him.  John didn't know what to do.  He looked up to Aeryn's beautiful face and saw many emotions, the most dominant ones being anger and betrayal.  

One part of John's mind was thinking on the problem at hand.  _Oh frell!  Quick John say something, explain to her that this is not what it looks like_.  While another part, a smaller part, the part of his brain that was concerned with his continued survival was telling him to get out of there as fast as he could.

John was no fool.  He knew that leaving would be the worst thing he could possibly do.  So he tried to plead his case.  "Aeryn, I know what you're thinking but this is not what it looks like."

Aeryn meanwhile was feeling a torrent of emotions.  Here she was worried out of her mind about John being all right, and he was in some bar kissing some tralk.  It was just like the Royal Planet all over again.  She could not believe he could be so stupid to kiss some stranger in a bar after what happened last time. 

For the first time since she had first met him, she wanted to hurt him.  She had never felt so much pain before in her life.  This was different from Royal Planet.  Back then she had no claim to John, and in fact had repeatedly pushed him away.  She knew she was to blame for what happened on the planet.  But this time was different.  She had actually told John she loved him, and he had claimed to reciprocate her feelings, so seeing him kissing another woman hurt so much more than when it did back then.  It was her worst fear come true: John was going to be taken away from her.

She had always known that John would find his home planet or eventually die, and she would be left all alone.  However, she never thought that she would lose John to another woman.  She could not deal with all these emotions without John; she needed John.  Without him she knew she would revert back to her old Peacekeeper self, and that was something she did not want.

There was a small part of her, in the back of her mind, that was screaming at her that she was overreacting and that she should give John a chance to explain himself.  The voice was telling her to trust John; he would never do anything to hurt her.  Unfortunately, the overwhelming emotions coursing through her drowned out that voice, and she let her anger take control.

So when she heard John say that he could explain, she did the one thing she does best when she is feeling a lot of emotions.  She got angry and attacked John.  "Oh, really you can explain this can you?  I'd really like to hear your explanation for why you were kissing some cheap tralk!"

John began to sputter.  His mind was traveling at a million miles per second trying to come up with some plausible explanation.  Logically, he tried the truth.  "There were Peacekeepers, Aeryn!  If Juli hadn't done what she did, they would have seen me.  It was just an act it didn't mean anything.  I swear to you, Aeryn.  Besides you told me to stay out of trouble, I was just doing what you told me to."

Aeryn looked at John's open face and could see the pleading in his eyes.  She was almost tempted to forgive him, but the anger reasserted its control before she could.  She gave an obvious snort of disbelief at John's explanation.

"I told you to stay out of trouble, not kiss strange women!  Besides, I saw the Peacekeepers too, John, but they left the bar long before I came in.  Why were you two still acting?"

John did not know what to do.  He decided to try to blame Juli, shifting the focus of Aeryn's anger to the girl.  He didn't exactly care all that much what happened to the girl after what she did.  "She wasn't supposed to do that Aeryn.  I didn't know she was going to do that.  We never actually kissed until you came in, we were just pretending.  I don't know what she was thinking."  John glared at Juli as he finished.

Aeryn knew exactly what the girl was thinking.  She had seen the girl reflected in the mirror looking right at her, before she kissed John.  That should have tipped her off right there that John was telling the truth, but her anger was still messing up her judgment.

Aeryn clenched her fists, trying to control her almost overwhelming anger.  She really wanted to hit something, preferably the tralk that kissed John.  It was taking all of her self-control not to attack the girl.  She turned her angry glare towards to the girl.  "Is he telling the truth?"  

Juli could not have hoped for a better reaction from the female Sebacean.  She had no idea that she would be so possessive of John.  This was going a lot better than what she had expected.  Juli smiled sweetly at John, and then turned her face back to the angry Sebacean.  "I don't know what John is talking about.  I wasn't pretending and from the way John was acting, he wasn't either."  She turned to see John's reaction, and she saw exactly what she was expecting to see.  Total shock and disbelief, not to mention a little despair.  

Juli began to feel bad.  The last thing she wanted to do was hurt John, but it had to be done if her plan was going to work and John was going to stay on the planet.  She could see how much the woman meant to John, and separating John from Aeryn was the only way her plan would succeed.  She knew she was being selfish but she really didn't care.

John was horrified by Juli's response.  He could not understand why she was lying.  Sure he thought that she might be attracted to him, but he had made it clear that he was not interested.  He could not fathom why she would want to make Aeryn believe that they were an item.  His mind could not process all that was going on around him.  The only thing he could focus on was Aeryn, who if possible, was even angrier after Juli's response than before.

Aeryn, after staring at Juli for a moment turned back to John.  "I can not believe you would do this to me John.  I thought I meant something to you.  I thought you loved me."

John could see so much hurt and pain in Aeryn's beautiful gray eyes, that he thought it would break his heart.  He had never felt so bad before in his life, seeing her like this.  He had to reassure her, do any thing to make her understand.  "I do love you Aeryn, more than anything.  I don't know why Juli is lying, but she is lying.  You have to believe that."

Aeryn stared at John for a long time before abruptly turning around and marching out of the bar.  John just sat at the table, with his jaw dropped in disbelief.  He could not believe that she just left.  He knew that she was angry, but to just leave was unthinkable.  It made him angry that she thought so little of him and their relationship that she would just leave, without doing anything to try and solve their problems.  

There was no way he was going to let her get away with running away.  Not again.  He was tired of having Aeryn run away every single time there was a bump in their relationship.  And he was certainly tired of having to deal with Aeryn repressing her emotions.  He needed to find her and they needed to have a long talk.  John got up and rushed out of the bar after her.

Aeryn could not believe what she was doing.  She could not believe that she had just run out of the bar, leaving John behind with that tralk.  She was running away again, just like John accused her of doing every time they got close or there was some problem between them.  

She slowed down from her quick pace, and tried to walk as calmly as she could back to the pod.  The whole time she was constantly looking over her shoulder, expecting any microt now to see John chasing after her.  Sure enough, after slowing down, she saw John in the distance, running in her direction.  Part of her was very happy that John came chasing after her.  Unfortunately, another part wanted nothing to do with John right now.  She wanted to be left alone, and she definitely did not want to talk about what happened in the bar.

She knew it would be pointless to try and avoid John, though.  They needed to get off the planet as soon as possible, which meant sharing a transport pod.  So she slowed down even more and let John to catch up to her.

As soon as John got close enough he grabbed Aeryn's arm and steered her towards an empty alley.  Aeryn was so surprised by John's actions that she barely reacted.  Once they had moved far enough into the alley to be away from prying eyes, John let go of Aeryn's arm.

Once Aeryn got over her surprise, she got angry with John for pulling her into the alley.  She stepped away from him and gave him a nasty glare.  "What the frell are you doing Crichton!"

John was just as angry with Aeryn as she was with him, but for different reasons.  He was not going to let her distance herself from him again.  "My name is John!  Not Crichton, but John.  And I'll tell you what I'm doing.  I'm trying to save our relationship.  Something you don't seem to care about."

Aeryn let out a harsh laugh at John's words.  "Relationship?  What relationship, **Crichton**?  I don't know what you're talking about.  As far as I'm concerned we don't have a relationship.  You certainly proved that in the bar."

John was frustrated and hurt by Aeryn's negative response.  "Damn it Aeryn, I told you that she was lying and that it didn't mean anything."  John's voice softened and he stared into her eyes, "I love you Aeryn.  Not her."  _Come on Aeryn you have to believe me_.

Aeryn knew that she should believe John.  That if he meant anything at all to her, she had to accept what he was saying.  But the pain was still too raw.  Seeing John kissing that other woman had been such a surprise that she still couldn't get over it.  She knew that she might be ruining their relationship for good, that she would have pushed him away too many times for him to come back, but she didn't care.

"I'm sorry John."  She then just turned around and started to walk out of the alley.

John was in total shock.  He could not believe she didn't care.  He could not believe that she would throw away everything between them for the last two cycles.  He wasn't going to let her.  He grabbed Aeryn's arm again to stop her.

Unfortunately for John, Aeryn was ready for him this time.  Moving quicker than John could see, Aeryn broke John's hold on her arm and swept his legs out from under him.

John looked up at Aeryn from his position on the ground and could see the smoldering anger in her eyes.  "Do not touch me again John."

John slowly got to his feet; he was still a little woozy from his sudden trip to the ground.  He tried to reason with Aeryn one last time.  "Please Aeryn, don't do this.  Don't do this to me.  I need you and I'm tired of you shutting yourself off from me."

Aeryn acted like she didn't hear John's plea.  "We need to leave John, and get back to Moya.  Let's go."

John once again got angry with Aeryn when she turned her back to him again.  "No Aeryn.  We are not leaving until we work this out.  You may be willing to give up, but I'm not."  John then made the fatal mistake of reaching out to grab Aeryn again.

Once again Aeryn was prepared.  This time, however, she didn't just knock John to the ground; she grabbed his arm, pulled him closer towards her and gave him a Pantak jab to the face.  Knocked unconscious, John unceremoniously fell to the ground.  Aeryn was so angry with John and her self, that she just left John on the ground as she left the alley.

Back in the bar, Juli and Kwami were having a conversation.  

Kwami looked at Juli disapprovingly, "What you did was very wrong Juli Fallon.  It was not very honorable to lie to John's Sebacean companion.  And I could see that you enjoyed making her angry way too much."

Juli was apologetic.  "I'm sorry Kwami, I know it wasn't right but it was necessary.  With Aeryn Sun out of the way, John may be more willing to help us.  And you are right, I did enjoy it."

Kwami barked out a laugh at Juli.  She was far from sorry that she had angered the Sebacean.  Kwami was worried, though, that Juli might have pushed John Crichton too far.  He decided to express his fears out loud, "I do not know if what you did was very wise.  I am afraid that you might have angered John Crichton so much by what you did that he may not wish to help us."

Juli let out a sigh at Kwami' words.  "I share your fears Kwami.  But what I did was the only thing that I could think of that might make John want to stay.  I was desperate.  If John and Aeryn have a falling out, I might be able to exploit that and get John to join us.  I know it was a gamble."

"Yes, well I hope it is a gamble that pays off.  I do not relish having to try to convince Crichton to join us.  If earlier was any indication of how stubborn he can be when he is sympathetic, I do not to want to know what he will be like when he wants nothing to do with us.

We should locate him.  I'm afraid his friend might hurt him.  I have never seen a Sebacean get so angry before.  I definitely would not want to face someone like that in battle."

Juli laughed, "I suppose we should.  Who knows what she could be doing to him right now."  Juli and Kwami got up from their seats, put some of the local currency on the table, and left to go hunt for the one person on the planet that might be able to rid them of the Peacekeepers. 

Lieutenant Jan Folor of Rastar Regiment, Bravar Company, absolutely loved his job.  For him there was no better life that he could be living than the one he was living now.  He had everything he wanted: he had power, he was feared, and he could do anything he wanted without being afraid of retribution.

He was the commanding officer of a special team of highly trained, heavily armed, Peacekeeper commandos.  They were experts in many things, but the activities they truly excelled at were assassinations, covert operations, and fugitive retrieval.  At the moment he and his team of six commandos were stationed on the commerce planet of Rotar.

Folor felt a rush of pride as he remembered the reason he was here.  Peacekeeper High Command had specifically requested his team for this mission.  Of the last 25 missions his team had undertaken, they had succeeded every time.  His team was the best, and he had no intention of having them fail their most important mission yet.  If they succeeded they would all certainly receive medals, and he might just get that transfer that he wanted to become a Disruptor.  

It would be a difficult mission.  He and his team were to locate, apprehend, interrogate, and then terminate every single individual believed to be a leader of the pitiful excuse of a rebellion that was currently building up across the planet.

Jan could not understand why any planet would be rebelling against the Peacekeepers, especially one as close to Scarren territory as this one was.  _Do they not realize that the Peacekeepers are the only reason why they have not been over run by a Scarran invasion yet_, he asked himself.  Jan firmly believed in the superiority of the Sebacean species.  _They should be praising us for protecting them, not rebelling against us_.  It didn't really matter though.  His team would succeed just as it had in the past, and the rebellion would be destroyed.

Jan was still ruminating on his previous thoughts, when he heard a knock on his door.  He barked out a somewhat annoyed response, "Enter!"  The door opened and his second in command, Officer Jayn Fyy, walked into his temporary quarters in the Ryota Mountain Garrison (the largest Peacekeeper garrison on the planet).  She stood rigidly at attention, waiting for her superior to acknowledge her presence.

Jan felt a prideful smile beginning to form on his lips at the sign of her discipline and respect.  He squashed the smile though, before it could make it presence known.  It was not good to show emotion.  _A good soldier never shows emotion_, he reminded himself.  "Yes, Fyy, what is it?"

Fyy answered in a clear and unemotional tone, once again a sign of her intense training.  "Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you, but Planetary Intelligence picked up something that I thought you might find interesting.  It seems that one of their agents that had infiltrated one of the larger resistance groups, was supposed to meet a very high level person in the group, but the meeting never took place because the rebel never showed up.  It was supposed to be some kind of information exchange designed to gain their trust."

Jayn was about to continue, when Jan interrupted with an annoyed grunt.  "That is unfortunate for them, but I don't see how a frelled up intelligence mission concerns us."

Jayn answered his question with just the hint of being annoyed that she was interrupted.  "I was just getting to that sir.  Apparently the agent took it upon himself to track down the rebel contact, and he did.  He found her in some bar that he knew she frequented.  He was going to question her about the missed meeting when he noticed whom she was talking to.  She was talking to a large, black, Rotarian male-"  

At the mention of the description of the Rotarian male, Jan instantly perked up.  _It couldn't be, could it?  Maybe this mission wouldn't be so hard after all_.  Jayn noticed that she now had Jan' rapt attention, as she knew she would.  She continued on, "who perfectly matched the description of the leader of the Rystalva, the largest resistance group on the planet."  Jayn finished with an almost eager smile on her lips.  She was finding it hard to contain herself from blurting out the most exciting part of her news.

"This is excellent, Fyy.  On planet for only 20 arns, and we've already located our number one target.  This is going even better than our last assignment."

Jayn couldn't contain herself any longer.  She had to tell Jan now.  "Wait, sir I didn't even tell you the best part."

Jan looked up at her with surprise, "There's more?  What could be better than locating your primary objective."

Jayn was going to enjoy this.  It was not every day that someone managed to surprise the lieutenant.  "Yes sir, much more.  You will never guess whom they were talking to, sir.  I didn't believe it myself.  It took a lot of convincing on the Intelligence Agent's part, but he finally persuaded me to order a routine patrol to check out the individual for themselves, and they confirmed it sir."

Jan was becoming visibly frustrated at Jayn's unnecessarily long explanation.  "Enough, Officer Fyy.  Tell me now who they saw."

Jayn heard the frustration in Jan's voice and decided to forgo making anymore elaborations.  "The agent and the patrol confirmed that the male Sebacean our target and the agent's contact were talking to was none other than John Crichton."

Before he could stop himself, Jan's mouth opened in total shock.  "You can't be serious, Fyy.  John Crichton is on this planet?"

Jayn could not be happier, she had never seen the lieutenant so shocked before.  "Yes sir.  As I said earlier, I sent a patrol into the bar to identify him.  They gave a positive verification."

Jan became instantly concerned that the patrol might have frightened the human off.  He knew of Crichton's reputation for evading capture and predicting dangerous situations.  "The patrol didn't alert Crichton, did they?  Those incompetent grunts better not have scared him off."

"Oh no, sir.  From what the commanding officer told me, they acted like just a normal patrol.  They did nothing to alert Crichton that they were looking for him.  As far as Crichton is concerned the patrol was oblivious to his presence.  They have been tracking him ever since he left the bar."

Jan was very happy.  He was a very ambitious man and if he could bring in John Crichton, he would be set for life.  He would definitely get that transfer he wanted.  "Excellent news, Fyy.  You were right this is better news.  So the patrol knows where he is?"

"Uh…not exactly sir.  They sort of lost track of him briefly.  Apparently, he and a female Sebacean, who was confirmed as the traitor Aeryn Sun, were walking together and then they just disappeared."

Jan was outraged, "They lost him.  How could they frelling lose him.  He's one man!"

Jayn tried to mollify her commanding officer, "They lost track of Crichton, sir.  But they were able to track Sun to their transport pod.  They have the area surrounded and are just waiting for Crichton to show up."  Jayn's attempt to calm Jan seemed to work.

Jan thought carefully of his plan of action.  After about 40 microts he came up with a plan.  "All right, Fyy, this is what I want you to do.  Wake everyone up and get them equipped and ready to go.  We'll take a ground car to the spaceport, where we'll meet up with the patrol.  Then both teams will move in and capture Crichton.  Remember to tell everyone that Crichton is not to be killed under any circumstances.

Oh, and comm the command carrier in orbit to locate and capture Crichton's Leviathan.  Just in case he manages to make it off the surface.  We leave in 300 microts."

John was groggy and confused.  _What the Hell am I doing lying on the ground?  Where am I?_  It was not until he slowly got to his feet, that he remembered everything that had happened.  

John let out a groan, but it was not a groan of physical pain.  Aeryn had given him a Pantak jab and had just left him in the alley.  _She just left me!  I can't believe she would do that.  What the hell is wrong with her?_  He knew that she was mad about the kiss, but what she did was inexcusable.  They definitely needed to have a very long talk.  First, though, he had to get off this planet.  

He was still somewhat groggy from Aeryn's punch, so it took him a while to get to the end of the alley.  Once he reached the street, he tried to orient himself.  _Which way is the transport pod?_  He tried to remember which way he had come down the street.

He was still studying the layout of the street, when Harvey decided to grace John with his presence.  "I believe the pod is that way John.  Really, I don't think Officer Sun hit you that hard."

John turned toward Harvey with an angry glare, "Shut up Harvey.  I don't need this right now."

Harvey just ignored John.  "Speaking of Officer Sun, are you sure that you want to find her right now?  After what happened during your last confrontation it might be wise to let her cool down first.  If she is still angry, she might do more than just knock you unconscious."

John sighed, "I have no choice, Harvey.  I need to get off this damn planet, and that means the transport pod.  So I have to find Aeryn, she's my ticket out of here."

"Well, John, don't say I didn't warn you."

John let out another sigh as he set out in the direction Harvey pointed_.  The transport pod shouldn't be too far away.  I just hope Aeryn doesn't kill me when she sees me_.  John was so preoccupied with how he was going to fix his latest problem with Aeryn, not to manage staying upright, that he failed to notice that he was being followed.

Aeryn didn't know what was wrong with her.  It was like someone else was controlling her body.  Her anger had taken on a life of its own, controlling her actions.  No matter how hard her rational mind tried to rebel against what her anger was telling her to do, she couldn't stop.  It was like she had been imprisoned inside her own mind.

She was horrified at herself that she had hit John.  She was even more ashamed that she had just left him in the alley.  But that was nothing compared to what she was feeling as she saw what she was doing now.  She was starting the transport pod.  She was going to leave John on the planet.  

She tried to fight herself, to stop herself from doing something she didn't even think she was capable of doing.  But she couldn't stop; the anger and betrayal that had taken over her body were too strong.  She felt so helpless.  All she could do was watch herself as the transport pod's engines ignited and she began to pilot the pod off the landing pad.  

Lieutenant Jan Folor was very surprised to see the transport pod they were currently watching begin to start up.  He was even more surprised to see the pod lift off the pad.  _What the frell is she doing?  She's leaving Crichton_, he thought incredulously.  

He was shocked, as were the other Peacekeepers surrounding the landing pod.  Folor's team had met up with the Peacekeeper patrol that was shadowing Sun, and he had assumed command of the patrol.  There were now 13 Peacekeepers scattered around the landing pad, waiting for Crichton to show up.  Folor's only concern was that the grunts in the patrol wouldn't frell things up.  So he had positioned them in the spots least likely to be anywhere near the action.  They were only there as insurance against Crichton somehow managing to get past his team.  Folor was not going to take any unnecessary chances.

It was actually good that Sun was leaving Crichton behind.  As much as I would like to capture the traitor, she just made my job a lot easier.  Folor was about to comm Fyy to ask her for a status report, when a Sebacean-looking male walked into the landing area.   

Folor studied him and he seemed to match the description of John Crichton.  Folor was excited.  This was his chance.  His chance to make a name for himself.  He would succeed where everyone else in the Peacekeepers had failed.  He would capture John Crichton.  

_Finally!_  John had finally found the landing area where he and Aeryn had landed Moya's transport pod.  _I can't wait to get off this frelling planet.  I'm going to take a nice, hot shower, and find something to take care of this damn headache._  John had been suffering from a really bad headache ever since he left the alley.  _Damn, Aeryn must have hit me as hard as she could.  I don't remember the last Pantak jab hurting this much._

John turned a corner to come face to face with the landing pad and got the biggest shock of the day.  The pod was gone.  Aeryn was gone.  John could not believe it.  _She left me._  John had never felt so defeated before in his life.  He needed to sit down before he collapsed.

He walked over to a packing crate on the pad and sat down.  He placed his head in his hands as he fought the tears that threatened to overwhelm him.  _How did things get so screwed up that she would leave me?  Aeryn wouldn't do that; she couldn't do that_.  John refused to believe that Aeryn would just leave him without a good reason.  _There must have been something wrong on Moya_, he tried to reason to himself.  _That has to be the only reason why she would leave me._    

He was still in the grips of despair when he heard a loud clang come from his left.  He looked up stiffly and saw the only thing that could possibly make his day any worse: Peacekeepers.  _Frell!_  

John quickly sprang off the packing crate and dived to his right, pulling out Wynonna along the way.  As soon as he hit the ground he crawled behind a crate and started firing in the direction of the Peacekeeper he had seen.

The Peacekeeper began firing back at John, and as soon as he did, multiple shots started to come from everywhere.  John soon saw that there was more than one Peacekeeper.  He could see at least two others, and he could tell from amount of fire coming towards him that there were a lot more.  John was surrounded, in an enclosed area with only one exit, the way he came, and only one weapon.  John knew he was screwed.  He needed help.

John continued to fire, hoping to pin the soldiers down, as he tapped his comm.  His voice was urgent as he spoke into his comm, "Aeryn!  Peacekeepers have me pinned down.  I can't get away.  I need you help!"  John got no answer so he tried again, "Aeryn!  Can you hear me?  Look I'm sorry about what happened, but now is not the time to hold a grudge.  Come on baby, there gonna get me.  I need you."

There was a long pause again, and John was about to try again, when Aeryn's voice came on.  John let out a loud sigh of relief, but soon felt despair overcome him again as he heard Aeryn speak.  "I'm sorry John.  But I don't care anymore.  I just don't frelling care."

John felt like someone had just kicked him in the gut, and then stabbed a knife in his back.  He couldn't believe that Aeryn was doing this to him.  He had never felt so betrayed before in his life.  This was the worst pain he had ever felt.  Worse than when he was in the Aurora Chair, even worse than when he thought he had killed Aeryn.  For the first time in his life, he didn't care anymore.

Aeryn wanted nothing to do with him.  _What was the point of fighting?  He had no way off planet, he was surrounded, and Aeryn hated him_.  John decided to do something he thought he would never do, he gave up.

As loud as he could, he yelled at the Peacekeepers, "Stop firing!  I give up!  I give up."  He slowly stood up, holstered Wynonna, and sat down on his crate waiting for the Peacekeepers to come get him.


	3. Abandon All Hope

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** I'll try to make this brief.  This is my first ever story, so please forgive me for it.  I am only writing this story because the idea has been plaguing my mind for months, and putting it on paper was the only way to stay sane.  This will be a rather long story; it's actually a trilogy.  This is just the first part of what I hope will be a decently entertaining epic in the Farscape universe.

**Second Author's Note:** This chapter is the chapter I have been waiting for since I started.  The previous chapters were just laying the groundwork for this chapter, the real beginning of my story.  Because of the action, and subsequent graphic violence, I have decided to up the rating of this story from PG-13 to R.  You have been warned.  As usual, any and all comments are encouraged and welcomed.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 3: Abandon All Hope

            With grace that belied the bulky armor they were wearing, the Peacekeepers swooped in around John and quickly brought him down to his knees.  With military precision they searched his body, divesting him of his comm and Wynonna.  Throughout the entire process John put up no resistance.

            Two soldiers roughly brought John to his feet and slipped the Peacekeeper version of handcuffs on his hands.  The soldier on John's left turned towards another Peacekeeper that was heading in their direction.  _Must be the commanding officer_, John reasoned.  The soldier spoke in a crisp voice, "The prisoner is secured, sir.  He only had a comm badge and a pulse pistol on him."  With that said, the soldier handed John's stuff to the man.

            The tall, well-built Peacekeeper looked John up and down, as if measuring him, before turning to the soldier that had spoken up.  "Excellent work, Officer Braf."

            The man turned his attention back to John.  "I am Lieutenant Jan Folor, and you John Crichton, are under arrest."  Folor waited for a reaction from the human, but all he got was a cold, dead look from Crichton, so he continued on.  "You are going to make me a very happy man, John Crichton.  When I turn you into High Command, my future will be secure for the rest of my life.  I would thank you, but I have a feeling you wouldn't appreciate it very much."

            By now both the Peacekeeper patrol and Jan's team had gathered around John.  Everyone wanted to get a good look at the most wanted man in the Uncharted Territories.  Under different circumstances it might have almost seem comical to see so many Peacekeepers gawking at one man like they were.

            John, meanwhile, was oblivious to everything going on around him.  He was only vaguely aware that he had been handcuffed and that someone was talking to him.  John just no longer cared about anything.  The one thing that he cared about more than anything had just abandoned him on the planet to the Peacekeepers.  _What else was there worth living for, or fighting for, for that matter, than Aeryn?_

            Aeryn was the only reason he had stayed sane when the neural chip was trying to take over his mind.  John knew that he needed Aeryn to function normally.  Without her he was lost.  _She was supposed to be the one constant in my life, damnit!  What the hell is wrong with her?_  

            John was starting to get angry; it was the only thing he had left.  He held on to his anger like a drowning man hangs on to a life preserver.  He was mad at himself for once again putting himself in this kind of situation, he was mad at Juli for kissing him, he was mad at the damn Peacekeepers, but most of all he was mad at Aeryn.  Mad at her for not trusting him, mad at her for pushing him away, and mad at her for leaving him.

            For the first time since the Peacekeepers captured him, he began to show signs of life.  John was so consumed by his anger that he was oblivious to what he was doing.  His fingers were digging into the palms of his hands, his face was red, and the vein in his neck was throbbing.  _I want to hit something, no, I need to hit something.  Now!_  

            Knowing that he was only going to make matters worse, but not caring, he suddenly turned in the grasp of the two Peacekeepers holding him, facing the one on the left (John vaguely recalled someone calling him Officer Braf).  John made as if he had stumbled, suddenly leaning into the Peacekeeper on his left.  Before the Peacekeeper realized what John was doing, John grabbed his pulse pistol out of its holster, pushed the Peacekeeper to the ground, and turned around as fast as he could towards the Peacekeeper on his right and shot him.  Because John's hands were bound in front of him at waist level, the two shots entered the Peacekeeper in the area of his lower torso, spurting out blood and intestines over John and the surrounding area.  The Peacekeeper let out a sharp intake of breath, and fell to the ground.

            Making the most of his opportunity, John began to run through the hole the fallen Peacekeeper had created.  Unfortunately, John didn't make it that far before a Peacekeeper moved to block his path.  Without aiming, John hurriedly sprayed the area in front of him with pulse fire hoping to get lucky and hit the soldier.  One shot did find its mark, hitting the soldier in his left leg, making his leg useless.  His body now unable to support its own weight, it collapsed on top of the wounded leg.  John once again exploited the hole in the Peacekeeper's defense.

            John briefly remembered a time in high school when he had done the same thing he was doing now, except back then he was running with a football and not a pulse pistol.  _I also wasn't running for my life either_, thought John with a laugh.   

            _Almost there, just a little bit farther_.  John was only about ten feet from the only exit on the landing pad, when he felt a searing pain in his right leg.  He tried to keep running, but the pain in his leg was quickly becoming unbearable.  He looked down at his leg to see a smoking hole in his pants and blood slowly pouring out.  _Ah, frell!  The bastards shot me. _

            He could no longer put weight on his leg and he fell down to the ground.  He soon heard the sound of running feet coming towards him.  The remaining Peacekeepers quickly surrounded John again, once again taking his weapon away.  Except this time they were far from gentle.  One soldier stomped on his fingers, making him release the pistol, while two more dragged him to his feet.

            John was soon assaulted by a flurry of punches.  Most of the punches were landing on his torso, but some reached his head, which already made his blinding headache only worse.  The pain from the assault was barely noticeable; John was too busy focusing on the pain shooting up from his leg to notice anything else that was going on.  The pain was so intense that John was in a daze; he only hoped that he wouldn't black out.

            It wasn't until a loud voice from someone in the back of the crowd shouted out to stop, that the assault ended.  John fought his approaching unconsciousness and focused his attention on the man advancing towards him.  He was the same man that had spoken to him earlier.

            The man stopped in front of John and then turned to the soldiers surrounding him and John.  The man was absolutely furious.  "We need him alive you frelling idiots.  He's no use to us dead.  If High Command finds out that we are the ones responsible for killing their prize, our lives would be over.  Do you not understand?"

            One of the soldiers in the crowd spoke up, "He killed Garsk, and shot Fauvo.  He should be killed.  We can't let him get away with that."

            The man turned towards the man that had spoken up, and responded to his statement.  "We can let him get away with it, and we will.  You don't understand his importance do you?  To High Command, this pathetic human is worth more to them than all of us put together.  He may contain the knowledge to destroy the Scarrens once and for all."  The man suddenly made his voice deadly serious as he addressed all the soldiers present.  "No one is to touch John Crichton.  He is not to be harmed.  Anyone caught trying to harm him will be dealt with quickly and severely.  Do I make myself perfectly clear."  He saw all their affirming nods and began to calm down.

            The man turned to one of the few female Peacekeepers in the group, "Officer Fyy, would you attend to Crichton's wounds."  He didn't wait for her response as he turned to face Crichton.

            "I must say that you certainly live up to you reputation for being difficult to capture.  You are quite resourceful.  You disabled two of my men with your hands still bound in front of you.  You do not appear to be quite the pathetic being that others have made you out to be."

            John tried to come up with a sufficiently sarcastic response, but his mind was still hazy, so it was difficult.  "Yeah well, I'm rubber and your glue.  Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you."

            John briefly noticed the confused look on the man's face at his remark.  He was too busy relishing in the cool, soothing feelings that the female Peacekeeper, Officer Fyy, was causing in his leg.  He looked down and noticed that she had put some kind of patch over the wound.  _God, that feels so good_.  Fyy stood up, surveyed his torso and face, seemed satisfied with her work, and took up her place near the man that John had been talking to earlier.  John knew that he would have a pretty nasty limp for a while, but he had a feeling that the woman had done a good job, and that there wouldn't be any permanent damage.  _At least I hope not_.

            John once again focused on the man as he began to speak again.  "Now that this little incident has been taken care of, I think it is time we made our way back to base.  I have a feeling that if you stay out of a cell any longer you may try another stunt like that again."  The man turned toward the soldier that had been the one John had stolen the gun from during his escape attempt.  "Officer Braf, I trust that you will do a much better job of guarding Crichton this time, won't you?"

            Officer Braf briefly cringed as he heard the disdain in the lieutenant's voice.  "Yes sir!  It will not happen again."

            Folor gave Braf a slight smile, "See that it does not."  With that said the man turned towards the rest of the soldiers.  "Allright lets move out.  We have a metra to cross before we get to the ground cars.  Move in standard stagger formation.  Four men will guard Crichton, and Officer Fyy will take point.  Understood?" 

            The Peacekeepers moved with precision and assumed their positions.  Officer Braf and three others surrounded John, forming a diamond around him, as the Peacekeeper column moved out of the landing area.  

John Crichton was once again a prisoner of the Peacekeepers.  Except this time there was no Aeryn to rescue him.

Aboard the Leviathan Moya, things were going a lot more smoothly than they were for John down on the planet.  Of course, the crew aboard the living, bio-mechanoid ship had no idea of the things John was going through on the planet.  As far as they were concerned, John and Aeryn were doing fine.  They had not called for help or given any indication that they were in trouble.

Despite the lack of cries for help, D'argo was uneasy.  He hated being stuck aboard the ship while his friends risked their lives trying to procure their much-needed supplies.  _I should be down there with them_.  D'argo knew that Aeryn, despite her training, would spend half her time looking out for John, and that John, despite the experience he had acquired since coming into the Uncharted Territories, was still not a warrior and would not have a warrior's senses.  They would need another person to watch out for them, to make up for their divided attention.

_Instead, I'm stuck aboard this ship._  D'argo let out a growl at the feeling of his inability to do anything.  _I just wish they would get here.  What the frell could be taking them so long?_  They were only supposed to be gone for three arns, and they were already way past their preset time limit.  _Half an arn more, and I'm going after them_, he thought determinedly.  

He looked back down at the console in command that he was monitoring and saw that the transport pod was just breaking the atmosphere of the planet and was heading towards them.  

D'argo immediately felt embarrassed.  He had been so preoccupied worrying that he had almost missed the very thing he was looking for.  He reached for his comm.  He wanted to know what had taken Aeryn and John so long.  "John?  Aeryn?  What took you so frelling long?  You were supposed to be back here three quarters of an arn ago."

After a few microts, Aeryn's voice came over the line.  Her voice was calm and controlled, but D'argo thought he detected a hint of anger in her tone.  D'argo let out a sigh.  _Frell, her and Crichton must have gotten into another fight_.  D'argo hated having to deal with the two of them when they were fighting.  He hated having to choose sides.  _One of these days, those two are really going to hurt each other in one of their fights and they may never recover._  Unfortunately, as D'argo was about to find out, he had no idea how right he was.

"I ran into some difficulty down on the planet, but I have all the supplies that we need.  I will be aboard Moya in about 200 microts."

D'argo was about to respond when he was suddenly interrupted by Pilot.  "Ka D'argo!  Ka D'argo, Moya just detected a command carrier heading in our direction at top speed!"

D'argo spit out a few choice Luxan curses, before turning to Pilot's holograph image in the clamshell.  "Frell!  Pilot are you sure that they are heading for us?  There must be thousands of ships out here.  Could the carrier not be headed for one of them?"

"Moya does not think so, and I concur.  The trajectory of the carrier suggests that it is heading in precisely our direction.  Of course there is always the possibility that it is not after us, but Moya does not feel like chancing it."

D'argo nodded his head understandably, "I agree Pilot.  We can't risk capture.  How much longer until the carrier is within range to use its weapons?"

Pilot responded after a brief pause, "According to my calculations, the carrier should be in range in approximately 175 microts."

"Dren.  That doesn't give us very much time.  Pilot, as soon as the transport pod is aboard Moya, immediately go to starburst."

"Of course, Ka D'argo.  Moya would like me to remind you that after this starburst she will be unable to starburst again until her damaged parts are replaced."

"Understood, Pilot.  We can't worry about that now, though.  Escaping from that command carrier is our only concern at the microt."

D'argo was about to comm Aeryn to hurry up when Chiana, Jool, and Rygel entered command.  Of course Rygel, never one to beat around the bush, immediately asked the question that was on the mind of the newcomers.  "What the frell is going on here?"

D'argo growled at Rygel.  Rygel was always such an easy target for D'argo to vent his frustrations on.  "Moya has detected a command carrier on an intercept trajectory.  We are waiting for the…"

Rygel, ever the practical one, shouted, "What are we waiting around for then?  Let's get the frell out of here!  Pilot, starburst!" 

Chiana reached out like she has done so often in the past and placed her hand over Rygel's mouth.  D'argo gave a grateful look to Chiana as he continued his previous statement.  "As I was saying before I was interrupted, we are waiting for John and Aeryn.  They should be aboard in a matter of microts.  As soon as they are we will leave at once."

Meanwhile, aboard the transport pod, Aeryn was fighting a battle within herself.  She was trying desperately to reassert her rational mind over her body.  She had to rescue John.  There was no question in her mind.  It was the only thing that she was thinking about.  Let go of her unreasonable and unjustified anger and save John.  Nothing else mattered to her.  Not Moya, not her friends, not even herself.  Saving John was her number one priority. 

The more distance she put between John and herself, the more she could feel her anger lessen.  It was almost gone enough that she could take back control of her body.  _Just a little bit more_.  Aeryn knew that she would be all right as soon as she got back aboard Moya.  She just hoped that the Peacekeepers didn't leave with John as soon as they captured him.  It might become impossible to find him then, not that she wouldn't look.

She knew that she didn't have much time.  As soon as she docked with Moya the rest of the crew would want to get away from Rotar as soon as possible.  Of course as soon as the crew found out what she did to John they would probably want to space her.  _Not that I blame them_, she thought.  They would be even more upset when they learned that John had been captured by the Peacekeepers.  _They'll probably never trust me again_, Aeryn thought dejectedly. 

She knew that they would help her though.  D'argo would never abandon John, and neither would Chiana.  How they were going to rescue John was going to be difficult.  _How do you rescue someone from a planet crawling with Peacekeepers?_  It was a question that they would have to answer.

Aeryn began to slow down the pod as she approached Moya.  She felt a slight jolt as Moya's docking web grabbed onto the pod and began to pull it into her massive bay.  Hold on John, I'm coming.  

Aeryn was still thinking of possible rescue plans when the transport pod finally touched down inside Moya's hanger.  As soon as it did Aeryn got up and moved to the exit.  She did not relish having to tell the others what she did.  She was halfway down the ramp leading out of the pod, when Pilot's voice came over the ship wide comms.  "Prepare for immediate starburst!"

Aeryn was shocked.  She immediately hit her comm, "Wait Pilot!  You can't starburst.  John is not aboard.  Pilot don't starburst."

Aeryn heard D'argo's gruff voice come over the comm, "What do you mean John is not aboard?  Where is he?"  There was a brief pause, and then D'argo spoke again, this time at Pilot.  "Pilot, stop the starburst!"

Pilot's voice could be heard full of distress, "I am sorry Officer Sun, but it is too late.  If we do not leave now, the command carrier will capture Moya.  I'm sorry."  As soon as Pilot finished, Aeryn could feel Moya begin to enter starburst.

Aeryn was in total disbelief over what had just happened.  She slid down to the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs.  She had just abandoned the man she loved more than anything to his worst nightmare.  _It's my fault.  I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to John._  The full impact of what she did finally hit her, and for one of the few times in her life, she cried.

Back down on the planet of Rotar, John was oblivious to the fact that Moya had just entered starburst, effectively cutting off his only chance of escaping.  The only thing at the moment that John was thinking about was walking.  Despite the patch on his leg, his leg still hurt like hell.  Add that to the headache he was suffering at the moment, and John was finding that it took all of his concentration to just put one foot in front of the other.

It also didn't help that the Peacekeeper currently behind John, Officer Braf, was constantly pushing him with his pulse rifle to speed up.  John had already fallen two times, and his body was quickly becoming numb.  It was just too overloaded with pain.  

John didn't no how much farther he could walk.  The column had only walked half way to their destination, but to John it felt like they had walked for twenty miles.  He couldn't believe he still had half a metra to go.

He looked at the Peacekeepers moving in perfect formation.  Keeping enough space between men, with the exception of the group guarding John, that a single grenade would not wipe out the whole column, but close enough to effectively cover each other if the situation went bad.  _The Peacekeepers are many things, but incompetent soldiers they are not_, John thought humorlessly.

John felt the butt of a pulse rifle nudge him in the back again, and immediately got angry.  _Enough of this bullshit!_  John stopped and turned toward Officer Braf.  "What the hell is your problem?  If you hadn't noticed dumbass, I got a hole in my leg!  I can't walk any frelling faster!  So leave me the hell alone."

John's tirade seemed to have no effect on the soldier.  He only looked at John with contempt in his eyes as he responded, "Shut up human and keep moving."

John let out a groan of frustration as he turned and started walking again.  He began mumbling as many curses as he could think of about the Peacekeepers.  John should have known better than to expect compassion from a Peacekeeper.

A quarter of an arn later and John's leg was only getting worse.  It seemed that the patch that was put on his leg only had a very limited amount of painkillers.  The painkillers were losing effectiveness and John's leg was becoming unbearable. 

John felt another nudge from the soldier behind him, and quickly took a step forward.  He wanted to avoid another confrontation; it was pointless trying to argue.  Unfortunately, John wasn't paying attention and he stepped on a large pebble on the road.  His foot slid on the pebble, which caused his leg to twist.  Pain shot up his whole body and letting out a surprised cry, John fell to the ground for the third time.

It was a good thing John fell, because as soon as he did all hell broke loose.  Almost instantly after John fell, a pulse blast struck Officer Braf in the side of his head, shattering his helmet and killing him instantly.  John looked up and saw a look of total shock on Braf's face as his body fell to the ground.

Before Braf's body even hit the ground, more shots came out of nowhere, dropping two more of the soldiers guarding John.  John was in total shock, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.  Staying down to avoid fire, he crawled towards Braf's body.  He got the key to the cuffs he was wearing and unlocked himself.  He then grabbed Braf's pulse pistol, leaving the rifle because it was too bulky to crawl around with.  He crawled as fast as he could to a doorway cut into one of the buildings on the street.  Once he had reached temporary safety he looked back onto the street to see what the hell was going on.

What he saw would stay with John for a long time to come.  The Peacekeepers, the pillars of military precision and superiority, had walked right into an ambush.  Pulse blasts were coming from both sides of the streets, pouring into the remaining column.  

It was not looking good for the Peacekeepers.  John could see at least four bodies on the ground, the three guarding him and one other further up the line.  _That leaves only seven more, if my calculations are correct._  

John could see that the Peacekeepers were finally beginning to return fire, shooting into the buildings along the street.  John strained his eyes, trying to see who the Peacekeepers were shooting at.  To John it looked like they were shooting at Sebaceans, and if John's eyes were not deceiving him, there also seemed to be some beings with fur as well.  _Frell, those are Rotarians.  I wonder if this is the resistance Kwami was talking about.  Who cares who they are Johnny.  They're saving your life._  

A stray pulse blast hit the wall above John's head, spraying him with shrapnel that cut into his face.  _Frell, I can't stay here_.  John decided to see if he could make his way towards one of the buildings that the Peacekeepers were shooting at.  _My chances have got to be better with them.  Anybody who is shooting at the Peacekeepers is a friend of mine._

John gingerly stood up; crawling would take to much time.  John only hoped he could suppress the pain in his leg long enough to make it to the safety of the resistance fighters.  He hugged the walls of the buildings as he made his way toward the firefight.  The Peacekeepers finally seemed to come out of the daze that they had been in since the ambush began, and were finally behaving like the expert soldiers that they were.  The man that John remembered as the commanding officer was rallying his troops.

  The Peacekeepers began to lay down covering fire as three others began to move towards one of the buildings.  John could see that the soldiers were trying to flank the building, hoping to come in through the side instead of the front.  John couldn't let that happen, he needed the people in that building.  Fortunately, the Peacekeepers had no idea he was right behind them.

John moved as quickly as he could to get into a good position to fire.  As soon as he had a clear shot, he began to fire.  His first shot took one soldier in the lower back, dropping him to the ground, while another shot only grazed one Peacekeeper in the arm.  The two remaining soldiers quickly spun around, returning fire in John's direction, and diving behind some cart that had once been some merchant's stand.  John himself dropped to the ground firing rapidly into the cart, spraying wood and cloth into the air.  

John was so focused on trying to destroy the only form of cover the two soldiers had, that he almost missed the Peacekeeper that he had shot in the back begin moving.  The soldier was bringing his gun around, lining up John in his sights.  John rolled to his left, barely dodging the ensuing pulse blast, and shot the Peacekeeper in the forehead.  The man's head shattered, spraying brain matter and blood, and then he collapsed for good.

John was celebrating his continued existence when a pulse blast struck the ground right in front of him, spraying dirt into his eyes.  _Frell, I can't see!_  He had forgotten about the two Peacekeepers in front of him and they had moved out from behind the cart.  They were advancing towards him, their guns trained on his prone body.  John was blindly searching the ground for the gun he had lost when his hand came into contact with someone's boot.  

John finally got his eyes cleared and looked right into the face of the Peacekeeper that had wanted to kill him when they were still in the landing area.  The Peacekeeper looked down at John with hatred in his eyes.  He spoke to John as he charged his weapon to full power, "You do not deserve to live, human.  You must pay for killing Garsk and all the other Peacekeepers you have ever killed."

John had to stall while he tried to think of some way to get out of the mess he was in.  "Wait!  You can't kill me.  You're lieutenant wants me alive."

The Peacekeeper laughed harshly at John, "This is a battle.  People die in battle.  I'll just tell him that one of the resistance people shot you.  He will never be able to prove that I did it."  With that said he raised his weapon and aimed it at John's head.

John closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable pulse blast.  After a few microts and nothing had happened, John opened his eyes and was shocked by what he saw.  The Peacekeeper that had been towering over him was no longer there.  He was pinned against the wall of a building by a huge mass of fur.  _Mass of fur?_  John did a double take and realized he was looking at a Rotarian.  John looked at the Rotarian tearing into the Peacekeeper's body with his claws.  The Rotarian slashed through the man's stomach spilling intestines and then the Rotarian slashed the man's throat.

Dropping the still alive Peacekeeper, the Rotarian turned toward the second soldier that had been guarding the alley they were in.  Seemingly out of nowhere, a long metal pole appeared in the Rotarian's hand.  The Rotarian took three quick steps towards the Peacekeeper.  While the Peacekeeper was still trying to bring his gun up, the Rotarian swung the pole like a giant baseball bat as hard as he could.  The end of the pole hit the soldier in the head, shattering the man's lower jaw and most of the bones on the left side of his face.  The force of the blow was so powerful that the man's body spun 180 degrees and dropped to the ground.  The man was not moving.  

John slowly got to his feet as the Rotarian turned to face him and started walking in his direction.  John finally got his first good look at his rescuer.  It was Kwami.  John hadn't been this relieved to see someone since Aeryn had rescued him from the Gammak Base.  "Kwami, thank God.  Man, you saved my ass."

Kwami smiled slightly at John, "No thanks are needed John Crichton.  I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

John returned Kwami's smile.  "Yeah, well, sure I would have.  But that doesn't mean I shouldn't thank you.  We humans have a tradition that when someone saves your life, you repay them by thanking them and buying them a beer.  Since this isn't exactly the time or the place for getting a beer, I have to settle for the thank you."

Kwami responded somewhat confusedly, "I understand, I think.  You are right though that now is not the time.  We must hurry.  I don't know how much longer we can hold off the Peacekeepers.  We intercepted some of their communication transmissions, and they have called for reinforcements."

"You don't have to tell me twice.  Let's get the hell out of here."

John and Kwami moved to the end of the alley they were in to survey the battle.  The Peacekeepers were down to only three.  John could see the lieutenant, the female Peacekeeper that had taken care of his leg, and another male.  They had formed a sort of triangle behind some overturned carts and crates in the middle of the street.  Both sides of the street were firing at them.  But the Peacekeepers were giving as good as they got.  John could see at least three bodies next to one of the buildings, one Rotarian and two Sebaceans.

Suddenly, John saw an object fly out of one of the buildings and land in one of the carts.  Almost immediately the cart exploded, sending debris and body parts flying all over the place.  The male Peacekeeper that had been near the cart had his arm and half of his leg blown off along with the cart.  He was obviously dead.  The two remaining Peacekeepers had survived but they didn't fair much better.  The lieutenant had been blown against one of the crates, ten feet from where he had been crouching.  Officer Fyy was sprayed by flying shrapnel, pieces of wood sticking through her arm, and was unconscious.  

With the two Peacekeepers out of commission, Kwami and John, along with about ten others from the buildings, converged on the last bastion of the Peacekeepers.  John was sickened by the destruction caused by the grenade.  He had to cover his mouth and nose to block out the smell, as he got closer.

Kwami and two others, both Sebacean, began to check out the bodies.  They briefly checked out the male Peacekeeper, but he was obviously dead, so they barely looked at him.  One Sebacean moved towards Officer Fyy, while the other moved to check the lieutenant.  One of the Sebaceans yelled out, "This one is still alive!"

The Sebacean checking out the lieutenant yelled out also, "So is this one."

The group looked at Kwami for direction.  John could obviously tell that he was the leader.  The Sebacean that had checked out Officer Fyy asked, "What do we do with them?"

Kwami thought briefly about what to do.  He seemed to finally come to a decision.  "We can't take them with us and we can't leave them here to be rescued.  Kill them."

The two Sebaceans moved towards the bodies, knives in their hands.  John was shocked.  Sure they had captured him and were going to turn him over to Scorpius, but that didn't mean that they should be killed in cold blood.  And the woman had helped him out.  Before he thought too much and it was too late to do anything, he blurted out to Kwami, "Stop!  Don't kill them.  They could be valuable hostages."

John saw he had Kwami' attention and the attention of the assembled group.  He moved to the unconscious lieutenant.  "This one seemed important.  He may have valuable information that you could use.  And the woman has medical training; she could be invaluable to your group.  There is no reason to kill them.  If you kill them you are no better than…"

Without warning, the lieutenant's body suddenly sprang to life, interrupting John's speech.  The lieutenant stood up, grabbed John before he could move away, pulled him in front of him and used him as a shield.  "Stand back!  All of you don't move or I'll kill him!"  The lieutenant had taken John's pistol and was slowly backing away from the group in front of him.  The lieutenant spoke into John's ear as they were backing away, "You are coming with me.  I can still turn you into High Command.  I'll be a hero."  Then more loudly, "I will not be captured.  I will not let you ruin my life.  I will be the only Peacekeeper to ever manage to capture John Crichton."

A voice suddenly came from behind them, "No you won't."

The lieutenant, surprised, pushed Crichton away from him so that he could move faster and spun around.  He came face to face with Juli Fallon, who had a very large knife in her hand.  Before Jan could bring his gun up, Juli lunged forward, plunging her knife into Jan's chest.  Jan collapsed to the ground, blood pouring out of the wound in his chest.  Juli pulled the knife out of his chest, knelt down next to his body, and slit his throat.

John had never seen someone move so fast before.  Not even Aeryn could move as fast as Juli had.  It had only taken her less than ten microts to kill the lieutenant.  It was the second time someone had saved his life in less than an arn.  "Uh…thanks."

Juli smiled at John while wiping the blood off her knife on the dead lieutenants uniform.  "No problem, John.  It was my pleasure."

John shook his head at her as he turned to face Kwami and the others.  "I still think we should save the woman.  She could patch up your people."

Kwami nodded his head at John, "Agreed.  We will keep her alive as long as she is useful."  He motioned two men to pick up the still unconscious woman.  "We must leave at once.  The Peacekeeper reinforcements should be here any microt."

Kwami walked up to John, and slapped him on the shoulder.  "Come John Crichton.  We have much to discuss about your future."


	4. Free as a Bird, Caged as a Lion

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** I'll try to make this brief.  This is my first ever story, so please forgive me for it.  I am only writing this story because the idea has been plaguing my mind for months, and putting it on paper was the only way to stay sane.  This will be a rather long story; it's actually a trilogy.  This is just the first part of what I hope will be a decently entertaining epic in the Farscape universe.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  With regards to my story, I apologize for taking so long to update.  I've had some major technical problems with my computer, and it has been mostly out of commission.

**Third Author's Note:** I would also like to thank Bolo for his review.  It was your idea that led to the final action piece in this chapter.  Surprisingly, until your message I had not even thought of John fighting against a Rotarian.  Any more ideas you have, or anyone else, would be helpful.  I might just use them in my story.  

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 4: Free as a Bird, Caged as a Lion

One month (monen) after the events in Abandon all Hope-

            John Crichton was exhausted.  He hadn't had a decent night of sleep in over two weekens.  He was too busy running and fighting to sleep.  Ever since Kwami and his resistance cell, or the Rystalva as the native Rotarians called it, had rescued John from Peacekeeper imprisonment, he had been constantly on the move.

            With no way off planet, John had learned of his abandonment by Moya only arns after being rescued, and with almost 30,000 Peacekeeper soldiers searching the planet for him, John had decided that the best course of action for him to take would be for him to join Kwami's group.  

            Almost immediately after joining the Rystalva, Kwami had given John command of a squad of men.  John had protested of course.  He wanted nothing to do with that kind of responsibility.  Having twelve men and women depending on him scared the dren out of him.  That wasn't the only reason why he had protested, though.  Commanding a squad of men had certain permanence to it, like he was making an extended commitment.  John was grateful for the Rystalva's rescue and for letting him stay with them, but he had still planned on leaving the planet as soon as possible.  There had been a small part of him that was hoping that any day, Moya would come back and pick him up.  That feeling had faded in time, though.

            John was too busy trying to survive to think too much about Moya, or for that matter, Aeryn.  When he did think of them, it was with fondness, but after a monen of living in caves and eating stale food cubes, he had moved on and formed a new psuedo-family.  John was an adapter, he had already proven that by first surviving on Moya and now he had proven it again by thriving on Rotar.

The biggest reason, though, why John had accepted command of his unit was because of his second in command.  Juli Fallon was, in John's opinion, the best soldier he had ever seen.  In less than a monen, she had taught John all there was to know about small unit tactics, infiltration and sabotage, and John's personal favorite, escape and evasion.  It was because of Juli's proficiency that John didn't mind commanding his squad.  

John was no fool.  Unlike some officers in the military back on Earth that he had met, John didn't let his ego control his actions.  He knew that when it came to being a soldier, he knew very little.  So he let Juli handle the day-to-day operations of the squad.  Sure he made the big decisions, but almost always with Juli's advice.  

It hadn't been that way at first, though.  In the beginning, John had hated Juli.  She was the one responsible for what had happened between him and Aeryn.  After a couple of days together, she had come to him one night and confessed that she knew that Aeryn had been there when she kissed him and that she did it on purpose.  John had been furious, of course, and said some very bad things that he was not proud of saying.  But eventually John's anger had faded.  It was hard to stay mad at someone who repeatedly saved your life.

John realized that even though Juli had kissed him on purpose, and had started the whole fiasco with Aeryn, it was Aeryn that had blown the whole thing way out of proportion.  Aeryn had left him on the planet, and naturally he was still very bitter about that.  He had begun to forgive Juli for what she did, and he had learned to respect her and her abilities.  It was only a few days ago that he had begun to really open himself to the possibility of becoming friends with Juli.  Ever since then, things had been going great between them.  And, with John and Juli's increasing closeness, the unit was benefiting as well.

John's squad was one of the best in all of the Rystalva, mostly because of Juli, although, Kwami had sort of stacked the deck in John's favor.  He had assigned the best people he had to make up John's squad.  His reasoning that since John had the most experience and practical knowledge of the way that Peacekeepers worked, he should also have the most well trained and experienced people the Rystalva had.  John was very proud of the people that had become his new family.  He would never be as close to them as he was with Aeryn and the others aboard Moya, but they were all he had now.

John' unit was reflective of the society of the planet.  His unit was made up of twelve: five Rotarians, all male, and seven Sebaceans, Juli being the only female in the group.  Not that that was a disadvantage for Juli, she could easily beat any of the male Sebaceans in a fight (she was a Disruptor after all) and had even manage to fight to a draw two of the Rotarians.  

It was still difficult for John to wrap his mind around the fact that Sebaceans were actually taking orders from aliens.  John was so used to the racial discrimination of the Sebacean species, that he had been surprised to see them working with the Rotarians.  John had quickly learned though, that discrimination was almost non-existent on Rotar.  It just wasn't practical.  In order to survive, any racial differences had to be put on the back burner.

John was still thinking about the last monen, when he heard loud voices quickly approaching him.  It was time for his nightly debriefing of the troops.  Soon all twelve members of his squad walked into the large room that was used as both a mess hall, and when needed, hospital.  With the exception of his team, the room was empty.  John had chased everyone out; he didn't like having any distractions when he did his debriefings. 

John studied his unit as they filed in.  Of the seven Sebaceans, four of them were ex-Peacekeepers, including Juli, trained in everything one would expect of Peacekeepers, and the three other Sebaceans were all former ship mechanics that had worked in the spaceport before joining up.  The five Rotarian males were typical of their species: tall, lithe, extremely strong, and very ruthless when they wanted to be.  John remembered a time on a previous mission when the oldest Rotarian, Gray (John couldn't pronounce his name, so he just called him gray because of the color of his fur), had decapitated two Peacekeepers with his claws when they had unfortunately happened upon his unit when they were on an intelligence gathering mission.  John still felt a chill run up his spine every time he thought of that incident.

Not that they encountered Peacekeepers very much.  Despite the fact that the Peacekeepers had stepped up their patrols on the planet ever since John's rescue, High Command was not happy that one of their most highly trained and highly specialized units had been wiped out, John and his unit had only gone up against the Peacekeepers four times.  Each time they had escaped unscathed.  Unfortunately for the Peacekeepers, the same could not be said for them.  John's unit had wracked up a pretty impressive body count during those four encounters.  

John stopped his ruminations as his team finally sat down on long benches that made up the only seating in the room, and Juli walked up to him and took her normal position standing next to him on his right side.  John was quiet as he studied the drawn and tired faces of the people in front of him.  John began to speak in a loud, and what he hoped was a commanding voice, "Alright, I'll try to make this as quick as possible.  I can see you're all pretty tired."  John took a deep breath before he continued.  "I just wanted to congratulate all of you on a job well done.  Our mission this morning was a complete success.  The information that we gathered today will go a long way in furthering our fight against the Peacekeepers."

John saw the smiles on the faces of the group and felt a smile come upon his face as well.  "I know you all think you don't deserve a reward for just doing your job, but I think you do.  I manage to procure a little 'refreshment' from the supply depot for you guys."  With that said John stepped away from the crate he was hiding.  Inside the crate were bottles of fellip nectar, a very rare commodity in the Rystalva.  It was usually only reserved for the higher ups because it was so hard to get.  When you are constantly on the move, you don't exactly have the time to run to the local 7-11.   

John saw the faces of the men in front of him light up at the sight of the fellip nectar.  It made him happy that he could do a little something for them when they did so much for him.  He began to pass the crate around the men as he continued talking, "I also think you deserve to have a full days rest.  I've made sure that we don't have anything to do tomorrow, so sleep, get drunk, or do anything else that you feel like doing.  The important thing is that you relax and have some fun."

"That's about all I have to say for tonight.  Unless Juli has something to add, you guys are free to leave."  He looked at Juli and saw her nod her head in the negative, and so the men began to leave.  Eventually the room was empty except for John and Juli.  John himself was about to leave until he saw the look on Juli's face.  It was one of disapproval.

John frowned, "What?  You don't like what I did?"

Juli returned John's frown, "Of course not.  I realize that you think that you are doing them a favor by letting them relax, but you're not.  The only hope that we have in eventually defeating the Peacekeepers is to keep a constant vigilance.  If we were to suddenly come under attack, those men would be unable to do anything because they would be too drunk to even hold a gun."

John grinned at Juli, "You need to lighten up Juli.  You're way to uptight about these things.  Just let them have their fun.  They've earned a little R&R."

Juli still looked annoyed about John's cavalier attitude.  She said almost sulkily  "It is not the Peacekeeper way."

John let out a short laugh at Juli's comment.  "I don't know if you've noticed Juli, but we aren't exactly the Peacekeepers."  John then pointed at the dark, dank, and slightly wet walls of the cave they were staying in to emphasize his point.

John suddenly grew more serious and his exhaustion could be heard in his voice.  "Look Juli, I admire your dedication and discipline, and most of the time I would agree with you.  But not today.  Just leave it alone."  John yawned and rubbed his hand across his eyes.  "I'm going to take my own advice and get some sleep.  Goodnight Juli."

Juli suddenly got a bright smile on her face.  She said playfully, "Do you want me to come with you?"

John returned her smile with one of his own.  He then said exasperatedly, "You don't quit do you?  I don't think that I would get much sleep if you came with me, so no thank you.  I would much rather sleep right now than frell."  John briefly paused before exclaiming, "God!  I can't believe I just said that!"

Juli was still smiling at John, "Alright John, but sooner or later I'll eventually wear you down.  But you're right you need your sleep.  Goodnight John."  With that said, Juli left the room.

_The scary thing_, John thought, _is that she is probably right_.  John knew how tenacious Juli could be, especially when it came to things she wanted.  Since the very beginning of their tenuous relationship, she had made it perfectly clear how she felt about him.  At first John had resisted because of his dislike of Juli and because Aeryn's rejection was still too fresh in his mind.  But John no longer disliked Juli, so that was no longer a viable excuse for refusing her.  However, dealing with the Aeryn issue was still too huge an obstacle to overcome.  John knew that no matter how much he may want to have a relationship with Juli, or anyone else, he would never do anything until he resolved his feelings for Aeryn.  And that meant finding her and having a very long talk about everything that had happened.

John just shook his head in quiet bitterness and left the mess hall.  He was about halfway to his quarters when Kwami intercepted him.  Kwami immediately spoke up, "Good, I'm glad I caught you before you went to bed.  We need to talk John Crichton."

John sighed.  _Once again it looks like I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight_.  "Sure Kwami.  Let's go to my quarters."

They walked the remaining distance to John's room in companionable silence.  John and Kwami had become fast friends ever since they had first met over a monen ago.  John was closer to Kwami than anyone else.  In many ways, Kwami was very similar to D'argo.  Both were strong, warriors, had strong morals and honor, and both had short tempers.  To be fair, much like the Luxans, Rotarians suffered from their own form of hyper rage, except theirs was not as strong and was much more difficult to trigger.  Kwami would probably never replace D'argo, but he was the first person that John had met that he felt completely comfortable with.

They finally reached John's room, went inside, and John sat down on his cot of a bed while Kwami remained standing.  "So what's up Kwami?"

Kwami looked confused for a microt, before he shook his head.  "I do not know what is up John, but I need to talk to you about something very important."

John waved his hand for Kwami to continue, "Sure Kwami, lay it on me."

Kwami chose to ignore another one of John's strange remarks and continued on with what he came to say.  "John, I have decided to add more men to your unit.  Two more squads to be exact.  I want you to be at platoon strength."

John was shocked.  This was not what he was expecting.  This was the last thing he wanted, more people to be responsible for.  "Why the frell are you giving me more men.  I don't want anymore!"

Kwami was expecting John's reaction.  He already had his entire argument planned out in advance.  "Your unit is the best John.  You have the highest success rate of any unit, your men are the most well trained, and you seem to have an uncanny ability of getting out of dangerous situations unharmed.  That is the kind of leadership we need more of in the Rystalva."

John was not even close to being convinced.  "I don't know what the hell I'm doing Kwami!  Juli does everything, not me.  If you want to add more men, then fine, but put her in charge.  I don't want that kind of responsibility; I don't need that kind of responsibility."

"I understand your reluctance, John.  In fact, I think it is admirable that you feel that way.  But you are wrong.  It is true that Juli is a far better soldier than you are, but she is not half the leader you are.  We need leaders, not soldiers.  

I know that you don't see it John, but it is there.  The people in your unit, Juli especially, don't follow you because you are the best soldier or the strongest warrior.  They follow you because they see in you something special.  And I see it too.  It is why I wanted you to join us in the beginning.  You are precisely what we need to defeat the Peacekeepers."

John looked incredulously at Kwami, "What the hell are you talking about?  You are the leader of the Rystalva, Kwami.  You are what we need to beat the PK's, not me."

Kwami smiled kindly at John, "You are kind to say that John, but it is not true.  Yes, while it is true that others follow me, they only do so because they fear and respect me.  But you, John, are special.  Your men follow you because they see something in you that not only makes them respect you, but also love and believe in you.  That is a gift that I don't have.  The more men that are exposed to that gift the better off the Rystalva will be.  You are the legendary John Crichton.  If anyone can do it, its you."

John was still not convinced, "I just don't see it Kwami.  I am only a man, not a legend."

"You may only be a man, John Crichton, but you are living the legend."

John was exasperated, "I can't tell the difference.  I don't have that kind of power over them."

"Oh, but you do John.  I know all about you John.  I have heard everything that is said about you, as have your men.  You were only an ignorant, primitive being when you first came through your wormhole.  Despite everything arrayed against you, you survived.  You turned a violent group of fugitives into a family and a team.  A team that managed to get out of every dangerous situation placed in front of them, including evading capture from the Peacekeepers for more than two cycles.  You made people who had absolutely nothing in common find a common ground and work together.

And I also know about you and Scorpius.  Most men would not have survived what that abomination put you through and still be sane.  Even fewer men would have resisted giving him the information he seeks.  But you did because you know what kind of power he would have if you gave him the knowledge he is so desperate for.  You are a man of principle, of honor and honesty; you are a better man than me.  It is because of these things that your men follow you.  It is why I would follow you, but you are not quite ready for that yet."

John was stunned.  He didn't know Kwami believed in him that much.  He didn't know what to say to that.  "I don't know what to say Kwami.  No one has ever believed in me that much before, I don't know what to do."

Kwami put one of his large hands on John's shoulder.  "It is not necessary to say anything John Crichton.  It is the truth and it is how I feel.  You have the most powerful gift in the universe John, the power of the word.  I control the body of those that follow me, but with the power of the word, you control not only the body, but the soul as well."

John was still trying to wrap his mind around Kwami's glowing endorsement.  He knew that as much as he might not like it, there was no way he could possibly refuse Kwami after he had said those things.  John suddenly felt an intense urge not to let Kwami down.  He wanted to do all those things Kwami said he could do.  "Alright Kwami, you twisted my arm, but I'll do it.  On one condition, though, Juli remains my second in command and I get to choose the new people."

Kwami's smile was so huge that his large, sharp teeth were showing.  "That is more than acceptable John.  I am happy you have decided to willingly accept my demand.  I would have hated to make it an order."

John smiled at Kwami.  "Uh…now that we got that out of the way, I could really use some sleep."

"Of course John Crichton.  We will select your new men tomorrow.  It is important that you get started immediately."  Kwami then got up and left John's room.

Once Kwami was gone, John immediately collapsed on top of his bed.  He was too tired to even remove his clothes.  His last thought before sleep overcame him was: _What the hell did I just get myself into_.

It had been a weeken since the size of John's unit had nearly tripled and he was still getting used to it.  John was no longer responsible for only thirteen people, but now responsible for almost 40 people.  He had to learn to delegate his orders to the different squads.  It was definitely a learning experience.  It reminded him why he had not joined the military back on Earth.

It was not very hard choosing the people to be in his unit.  He actually didn't really do anything.  He let Juli pick who she thought the most qualified, and then he either said yes or no.  He promoted three of the people in his old squad to officers and made them the squad leaders.  They were people he was most familiar with and knew could handle the job.

It had taken a while for the new units to get used to each other.  They had to learn who everybody was and how they operated.  They trained non-stop for the entire weeken making sure the three units could work as a team.  They had even gone on two relatively easy missions to give the new people a feel for how John and his group operated.  Luckily for John, everyone in his unit had at least minimal combat experience.

It was now time for his nightly debriefing, a tradition he had decided to continue to provide continuity.  His forty-man unit, comprised of the usual mix of Rotarians and Sebaceans, were all seated on the long benches inside the mess hall.

Juli was currently talking, going over the mundane stuff that John knew needed to be covered but wanted nothing to do with.  Eventually after about five more minutes, Juli wrapped up and it was John's turn to speak.

John stood up in the middle of the room so that everyone could see him.  He spoke loudly, his voice echoing off the walls of the cave.  "This weeken has been hard on all of us.  We've had to get used to new people and new ways of doing things.  But, I think that is all over with now.  We've gotten to know our new people.  They have become part of the family, and that couldn't make me happier.

You new people have joined the best unit in the Rystalva, and I fully intend to keep it that way.  I expect everyone to do their part and give all that they have.  In return I will try my hardest to be the best commander I can be.  I ain't promising you that I won't screw up, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

John got a laugh from the assembled group with his last comment.  "I think that you all deserve a break.  We have a clear schedule for the next day, so enjoy your free time.  It will probably be the last time you have any for a few weekens."  A loud cheer rang out from the group.  John smiled at them and was about to dismiss them when the room suddenly started shaking.

John, surprised, shouted out, "What the hell was that!"

There were many shouts of surprise among the assembled group.  Everyone was standing and murmuring to each other about what was going on. 

Another shock rocked the room, this one much larger and stronger than the last.  It was almost like the cave was under attack.  _Under attack?_  John was about to send someone to go find out what was going on when the base alarm started blaring.  It was almost deafening inside the cave, echoing off the walls.  It was perfect for making sure everyone in the complex knew something was going on.

The alarm suddenly stopped, but the shocks still continued.  A voice came over the base PA system.  John could hear the gravelly voice of the Rystalva's leader, Kwami.  "This is an emergency.  We are under attack by a Peacekeeper force of unknown strength.  Base security has been compromised.  Prepare for immediate evacuation and all combat units prepare to repel the enemy.  I repeat, this is an emergency."  Kwami began to repeat the message over and over again.  

John turned to the assembled group and saw many emotions fleet across their faces.  Many were shocked and he could see panic in their eyes.  For most of them, this would be the first time they ever fought against a strong Peacekeeper force.  He needed them to focus, if they were going to get through this.

"Alright people!  You heard the boss.  We got Peacekeepers to kill and people to save.  There are hundreds of people depending on us to do our jobs and buy them enough time to get to safety.  This is what we have been training for.  We are the best and its time the Peacekeepers learned that first hand."

John could see everyone begin to calm down and they were focusing on him.  It was time for him to be what Kwami thought he could be.  "I know some of you are scared, that's ok.  Only an idiot wouldn't be scared.  It's what you do with your fear that matters.  Control your fear don't let it control you.  If you remember your training and work together, then you will survive.    I promise you that I will never stop fighting as long as I'm still alive.  All I ask is that you make the same promise to me."

John could see looks of determination cross the face of his troops.  "Let's suit up!  It's time to kick some Peacekeeper ass."

The men let out a cheer as they ran out of the room, their officers trying to keep the unit in order.  John and Juli stayed behind, watching the retreating forms of the soldiers leaving the mess hall.  Juli turned towards John and asked him, "Are you ready for this?"

John let out a short laugh, "Hell no I'm not ready for this.  I'll never be ready for dren like this.  Won't stop me though.  How about you, you ready for this?"  John knew it was a stupid question as soon as he asked it.

Juli gave a sharp laugh as she checked the pulse charge on her pistol.  "You forget who you're talking to John.  I was born to do this."

John just shook his head as they left the room, heading towards the action.

Things were not going well for the Rystalva.  It had been more than an arn since the attack by the Peacekeepers had begun, and the fighting was still going strong.  It was obvious to John that they were losing.  The Rystalva only had about three hundred soldiers to begin with, and at least a quarter of them had been killed so far during the fighting.  John's unit alone had already lost twelve people, including one of the squad leaders.  The only bright spot in the whole debacle was that they had managed to evacuate the majority of their non-combatant personnel to their secondary base.  They only had about fifty more people they needed to buy time for, and then they themselves could retreat.

Currently John and Juli, along with his remaining men, were holding an important t-junction in the cavern passage system.  The passage they were holding led to the only way out of the cave complex they were using as a base.  

John could hear weapons fire farther up the passageway.  _Damn, the Peacekeepers are getting closer_.  John knew that his unit held the most important passage in the cave system.  If the Peacekeepers got past his unit, they would have free run of the rest of the complex and would be able to kill or capture the rest of the Rystalva. 

John turned towards Juli, who was crouching beside him, and began to talk quietly to her, "Look, Juli, if things really go pear shaped, I want you to get out of here.  Take what survivors you can and find some place to hole up.'

Juli got an angry look on her face, "What the frell are you talking about John.  I'm not leaving you or my position.  This is where I belong; do not try to protect me from this.  I don't need your protection.  If anyone needs protection, it's you."

John got frustrated with Juli, she reminded him so much of Aeryn at times like this.  "Alright fine!  I won't ask you to leave, but you make me a promise that you won't do something stupid and pull some kamikaze stunt.  If we have to retreat, I want you sticking to my ass like white on rice, you hear me?"

Juli had no idea what John was talking about, but she could see how serious John was, and was very touched.  _He really cares about you_, she thought happily.  "I promise John that I won't do something stupid and I will try as hard as I can to stay alive."

John was content with her answer.  It was probably the best he was going to get.  "Good.  That's all I ask."

Another explosion went off sending debris and dirt falling on top of John and the others.  John looked towards the end of the passageway to see about fifteen people coming towards them.  They were the remaining Rystalva soldiers that had been stalling the Peacekeeper advance.  Kwami was at the lead of the retreating soldiers, his long metal staff gleaming in the dim light of the cave.

Kwami quickly approached John and Juli and crouched down beside them.  The rest of his men spread out along the passageway looking for any cover they could find.  It was the first time John had seen Kwami since the fighting started.  He was covered with dirt and his fur was singed in multiple places.  His claws were extended and John could see fresh blood on them.  John could also see blood on Kwami's staff.  John knew Kwami liked to fight hand to hand with his enemy, as did most Rotarians, because their hands were not suited very well to carrying a gun.

Without much preamble, Kwami began speaking to John, "There are at least a hundred Peacekeepers heading this way.  We tried to stop them, but they overran us in only a few microts.  They will probably hit this position in less than 30 microts.  I don't know how long we'll be able to hold them off, but it has to be long enough to let the others escape."

John whispered to Kwami, "What the hell happened?  How did they find us, I thought this base was a secret?"

Kwami turned his head from looking down the passageway to John and responded, "I have no idea how they found us.  Perhaps they spotted and followed one of the patrols, or maybe someone informed them of our location.  I don't know.  How they found us is not important right now, though, the only thing that we need to worry about right now is stopping them."

John was embarrassed, "Right, sorry I jumped down your throat.  Do you have any ideas how we're going to stop them?  I mean we're outnumbered at least 2 to 1."

"I am sorry John Crichton, but I am as clueless as you are.  I suggest we try to kill them and see where it goes from there.  Agreed?"

John smiled, "Sure thing boss.  Sounds like my kind of plan.  Do something stupid and pray it all works out in the end."

Juli decided to join in the conversation, "Definitely sounds like something you would do John."

John feigned hurt, "Hey!  I come up with good plans.  It's not my fault someone else always screws them up."

Juli was about to give John a biting remark, when the Peacekeepers decided that it was time for them to join the party.

Pulse blasts began lighting up the passageway, allowing the defenders to see the assaulting Peacekeepers.  From what John could tell, there were at least twenty Peacekeepers moving down the passageway.  They were moving in perfect formation, leapfrogging from one form of cover to another.  Unfortunately, there wasn't much cover to begin with.  Which was an advantage and a disadvantage to both sides.  John suddenly had a flash of the scene from the first Star Wars movie, when the Rebels aboard the captured ship were waiting in the hallway for the oncoming Stormtroopers.  John and the remaining defenders were in much the same position as those Rebel troops had been.  _I only hope we do a lot better than they did_.

As soon as the Peacekeepers were close enough, John and his fellow soldiers began opening fire into the advancing soldiers.  Four of them immediately fell to the ground, presumably dead, and two others were wounded.  The Peacekeeper advanced stalled, as their officers tried to reorganize them and get them moving again.  John heard one of the Peacekeepers calling for reinforcements, and ten more men appeared at the end of the passageway.  John knew that no matter how many of them that they killed, it wouldn't be enough to stop them.  There was just simply too many of them.

John turned towards Kwami, who was still crouching next to him, and spoke his fears, "There are too many of them Kwami.  We are not going to be able to stop them.  If we stay here we'll be slaughtered."

As if to emphasize John's point, a deadly wall of fire sprang from the Peacekeepers, hitting at least four of the defenders.  One man standing across from John had his head almost blown clear off.  Both sides began exchanging fire, and people were dying on both sides.  

John heard a resigned sigh come from Kwami as he replied, "You are correct John Crichton.  We can't stay here, but if we leave, we will expose ourselves to fire and being slaughtered anyway."

John felt desperation overcoming him.  _I don't want to die in some dark, dank cave on some alien planet.  I have too much stuff still left to do.  Think of something John.  You have to get out of here._  An idea suddenly sprang to John's attention.

John hurriedly spoke to Kwami, "I have an idea!  A crazy, desperate idea, but an idea none the less." He paused as he stared at Kwami, contemplating whether or not his idea could work.  "What if we collapse the passageway?"

Kwami thought about John's idea, running any other options through his head.  Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any other.  "We have enough explosives to do it, but if we collapse the passageway while we are still here, we will die as well."

John got a look of deep disappointment on his face.  He had been so excited about coming up with a plan that could work, that he had overlooked that important detail.  "Damn!  I hadn't thought of that."

Kwami was very quiet.  John could see in his eyes a sense of resignation, of acceptance of something that he didn't want to do but needed to do anyways.  Kwami spoke so quietly that John barely heard him over the battle, "We could do it, if…some stayed behind, John Crichton."

Kwami waited for what he said to sink in to John.  "I will stay behind with a few others.  We will distract the Peacekeepers long enough for you and the others to escape.  Then when you are clear, I will destroy the passageway."

John immediately began to argue, as Kwami knew he would.  John could be so predictable sometimes.  "Absolutely not Kwami!  I will not let you sacrifice yourself like that.  It was a stupid idea anyway.  We'll find another way."

Kwami spoke softly to John.  He had to make John understand, "There is no other way John.  We cannot survive if we stay here and fight them.  The only hope of the Rystalva is that some of us escape.  It is better that only a few survive, then to have everyone die.  Someone must lead John, and that someone is you."

John shouted angrily, "Damnit!  I already told you I don't want you're job.  You are the one we need the most.  Let someone else do it."

"No John, you are wrong.  I have to do it.  Only a Rotarian could last long enough to properly provide a diversion.  We will get too close that they can't use their pulse weapons, and we will try to buy you as much time as possible."  Kwami could see that John was still not very convinced.  "Look, John, I am a soldier, not a leader.  It is my destiny to die in battle.  I was only waiting for someone to come along who could take my place, and I finally found that person that I have been waiting my whole life for."

John vehemently shook his head, "No!  No one has a destiny to die.  I won't do it."

Kwami smiled, "Yes you will.  I can see it in your eyes.  You know that I'm telling you the truth.  You know that I'm right."  Kwami stared into John's eyes and saw his acceptance.  "I only ask that you make me a promise, John Crichton.  Promise me that you won't stop, that you won't quit, until my people and my planet are free.  Promise me that John Crichton and I will be able to die happy knowing that my sacrifice meant something."

John was starting to choke up with emotion.  He was going to lose his only friend, and he would once again be alone.  He knew that he could not refuse the last wish of his friend no matter what he was asking him to do.  John was about to make a promise that would change the galaxy forever.  "I promise Kwami.  I promise that as long as I am still alive, I will not stop until all the Peacekeepers are gone.  Your sacrifice will not be made in vain."  By the time John finished, he could feel small tears starting to form at the corner of his eyes. 

Kwami smiled at John and placed one of his large hands on John's shoulder.  "Thank you, John Crichton.  I know that you will succeed." 

Kwami then got up and made his way over to a group of Rotarians that were crouching behind one of the few outcroppings in the walls of the passageway.  Kwami began speaking to the five Rotarians, and after a few microts they all stood up.  Kwami then made his way back towards John, with his five companions in tow. 

"We will assault the Peacekeepers and distract them long enough for you to evacuate the survivors.  As soon as we attack, leave immediately.  You will have 30 microts before I detonate the explosives.  Any longer than that and it may be too late.  Juli will know where to go."  He then reached over to Juli and placed his hand on her shoulder, much like he did with John.  "It has been my honor to know you Juli Fallon.  You are a true and honorable warrior."  He then leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear, "Take care of him Juli.  He will need all the help he can get.  Protect him and watch out for him.  He listens to you, and he needs you now."  Kwami leaned back and saw Juli nod her head in acceptance of his advice.

Kwami then stood up to his full height and turned to John, he had his staff in his hand.  Kwami pressed a niche in the staff and it shrunk to about the size of his hand.  He then offered it to John.  "I want you to have this John Crichton.  It is the ancient sign of a warrior among my species.  It symbolizes power and respect amongst my family and my people.  It has been in my family for many generations but I will no longer have need of it and I am sure you will be able to make good use of it."  He could see that John was going to refuse, but he was having none of that.  "Must you argue with me on everything John.  I want you to have this.  It would be a great dishonor to both of us if you refuse.  Besides, it could save your life some day."

Kwami placed the staff in John's open hand, and then turned to his five companions.  One of them handed Kwami a large sack that John assumed had the explosives in it, and then all six pulled out large knives.  Kwami and the five began to move towards the end of the passageway, where the Peacekeepers lay waiting.  

Without warning, a loud growl escaped from Kwami's mouth and he and his five companions jumped into the Peacekeeper lines.  That was John's cue.  He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Alright let's get the hell out of here everyone!"  John and Juli, along with about 25 survivors, began running to the back of the cave complex where the exit was.  As he was running, John turned to look over his shoulder to see that the Peacekeepers were so preoccupied with Kwami that they didn't even notice the retreating soldiers.  

John could see the end of the complex in sight.  He could see the light of Rotar's two moons shining outside the opening of the cave.  By his count they only had ten microts left.  Still running he shouted out, "Move!  We only have a few more microts left."

Finally, after what seemed like arns, John and the others reached the cave's opening and rushed outside into the open air.  It was just in the nick of time too, because as soon as they reached open air, there was a huge explosion and the shockwave hit the group, knocking them to the ground.  John even saw one person get knocked unconscious by flying debris.  John looked back at the cave's opening after getting off the ground and saw that it was blocked off.  They had done it, they had survived.

John knew that they didn't have any time to savor their victory.  They needed to get away from there as fast as possible.  John brushed the dirt off his clothes as he helped Juli to her feet.  "Alright, Kwami said you knew where to go.  So take us there.  We can't afford to stay here any longer than absolutely necessary."

Juli nodded her agreement.  "I agree, John.  We'll have to go to the Rystalva's main complex.  Kwami liked keeping half the group divided so at least some survived if one base was ever discovered.  The people we evacuated already have at least an arn head start on us.  It's usually a two-day journey from here, but with the Peacekeepers after us it will probably take at least four days.  I only hope we can hold out that long."

John was in Hell, or at least he felt like he was.  They were on the fourth day of their exodus from their destroyed base, and Juli said they still had at least twenty metras more to cover before they reached the main mountain complex of the Rystalva.  They had caught up to the base's evacuated personnel, all four hundred of them, after the first day.  John had taken charge of the group and they moved as one large mass of people toward the new base.

John was tired, dirty, hungry, and unbelievably thirsty.  Naturally they had had very little time for gathering survival supplies while they were fighting for their lives against the Peacekeepers, so they had had to do without the most basic of necessities.  Any food or water they did have went to the wounded.  John refused to leave anyone behind and he didn't want any more dead bodies on his hands, so he along with the others, had given up their meager supplies to the ones that needed them the most.

Of course, the wounded slowed them down, but John didn't care.  Juli had tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade him to leave the wounded behind.  At first he had been angry with her for even suggesting abandoning them, but then he remembered who she used to be and was only thinking with a soldier's mindset.  It wasn't that she was a bad person; it was that she just didn't know any better.

Thankfully, Juli had given up trying to convince John after the third day and was doing all she could to make sure the wounded survived.  Right now they were currently walking through a mountain pass that supposedly led all the way to their destination.  John knew that they couldn't last very much longer out in the open.  Either the elements would kill them, or the Peacekeepers would.  Neither option was acceptable.

Finally, after a very long four and half day journey, John and his column of refugees at last reached the mountain complex of the Rystalva.  They were met by the base's commander, and as John soon learned upon arrival, the Rystalva's Second (Second in command).  

Everyone was given food and water, and the wounded were taken to the base's hospital.  After a very refreshing shower and meal, John gathered all the soldiers that had survived and had a meeting.  By John's count, including his surviving men, there were only about 160 soldiers that had made it.  John had been decimated to learn that only 21 of his original forty-man unit had survived.  Most of the ones that died had been the new additions.

John wanted to get everyone organized and restructured into functioning units as soon as possible.  He had a lot of work ahead of him and he wanted to get started as soon as possible.  He had Juli divide the men into four units of forty men each.  Much like he had done before when his unit had grown in strength, he promoted his own people into the roles of unit commander.

In order to have his meeting, John had to commandeer the only facility in the base large enough to hold the entire group.  The room was huge, large enough to hold ten times the amount of men that were currently occupying the room.  The room reminded John of a coliseum, except it was carved into the side of a mountain, and it did not have an open ceiling.  In reality, it was actually a large cave, with a sunken floor and bleacher like seating carved into the wall.

John and Juli were standing on the floor of the room, while his men were sitting down.  The acoustics of the room were just right that John could talk normally and still be heard throughout the room, which was a good thing because John's throat was still too hoarse from dehydration to yell.

"We have been through hell the last couple of days.  We have lost many friends, we have lost our home, and we have lost a great man.  Before he died Kwami made me promise that I would not stop until all the Peacekeepers were gone from Rotar.  I intend to keep that promise, but I can't without your help."  John paused and swallowed, trying to work more saliva into his mouth.

He looked at the assembled group and saw many of them nod their head, agreeing with what he was saying.  "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do.  Hell, after what we have been through I wouldn't blame you if you were done with the Rystalva.  I know that there is nothing I can say that can convince you to stay if your mind is already made up, but I'm going to try anyway.  Help me honor the memory of someone who gave his life for something he believed in.  He believed in your freedom, as do I, and was willing to die for it.  If you are willing to do the same, the Peacekeepers will never be able to stop us."  John stopped and had to swallow again.  "I will give you time to think my proposal over.  Make the right decision based on what's good for you, not anyone else."

John stopped talking and walked over to where Juli was sitting.  He looked up at the men and saw that there was a very lively discussion going on.  After a few microts the people began leaving the room, thinking about their future.  John sat heavily down on the bench.  He was exhausted.  He hadn't slept more than five hours in one night since before the attack.

Juli was very concerned about John.  She saw the dark circles under John's eyes, and noticed that he had lost a lot of weight.  He definitely did not look very healthy.  John had taken what had happened harder than anyone else.  Juli knew that Kwami and John had been very close, and that John was very worried about letting his friend down.  She remembered the promise that she had made to Kwami to look after John and she fully intended to keep it.  _From now on, I am going to do everything I can to make his life as easy as possible._

"You need to sleep John.  I can stay here and look after things.  You don't need to be here."

John replied tiredly, "Yes I do need to be here.  How can I rest when they can't?  If they have to be here then so do I."

Juli was frustrated; John was the most stubborn person she had ever met.  "You are the commander now John.  You need to be able to think clearly and quickly.  You can't do that if you're so exhausted you can't even keep your eyes open for more than 10 microts.  I can handle this John.  You don't have to do everything you know."

John was about to open his mouth to argue some more, when a large growl reverberated around the chamber.  _What now!_  _Can't I get just one easy day?  Is that really too much to ask for?_  John looked up to the entrance of the chamber and saw a very large Rotarian coming down the stairs to the floor.  _Correction, make that a very large Rotarian_.  The Rotarian was bigger than even Kwami was.  He was at least eight feet tall, and weighed at least forty pounds more than Kwami ever had.  He was the biggest Rotarian John had ever seen.  

John recognized him immediately.  The Rotarian was Toben, the base's commander and from what Juli had told him, the Rystalva's Second.  Toben had fur so blue that it almost looked black under normal light.  He was, from what Juli had told him, abnormally intelligent for his species.  That wasn't to say that Rotarians were stupid, after all they were considered the preeminent shipbuilders in the Uncharted Territories.  It was just that Toben was very smart, was considered smart even by Peacekeeper standards.  And, as John was seeing first hand, he had a short temper.

Toben finally reached the bottom floor where John and Juli were sitting.  Juli stood up and subtly moved her hand to her pulse pistol, automatically perceiving Toben as a threat to John.  Toben stormed up to John and growled out, "What the frell is going on here?"

John stood up and tried to make himself look as imposing as possible, knowing that he was failing miserably.  It was hard to be intimidating when you were so exhausted you could barely stand up for any length of time.  But, as Juli had constantly drilled into him over the last few days, you should never show fear in front of a Rotarian.  They would perceive it as a sign of weakness.  

John spoke out in as even and controlled voice as possible, "Nothing is going on here Toben.  I was just having a little get together with the troops.  You know, trying to show them that their commanding officer is just one of the guys."

Toben let out another growl and seemed to take offense at John's remark.  "Your troops?  They are not your troops and you are not their commander.  I am the Rystalva's Second.  Now that Kwami is dead I am Prime.  That means they are my troops, not yours.  I suggest that if you value your life, you accept that right now."

John had had enough.  He hadn't slept in days, he had barely eaten, and he had become personally responsible for hundreds of people against his will.  He was fed up with people telling him what to do.  If he hadn't made a promise to Kwami, he would gladly give Toben control, but he had made a promise.  _And a Crichton always keeps his word._  Obviously, Kwami didn't want Toben being commander of the Rystalva or he would have given command to him. 

John felt his anger flow through him, temporarily rejuvenating him.  "Like hell you are!  I made a promise to my friend that I would lead the Rystalva and I always keep my word.  I'm not going to let some piss ant little asshole like you lead the Rystalva.  Do you think that if Kwami had wanted you to be the leader that he would have asked me to do it instead?  Obviously he thought you wouldn't know what the frell you were doing!"

Before John could continue on his little tirade, Toben lost what little control over his temper that he had, and struck John across the face, sending him flying five feet.

Almost immediately after hitting John, Juli sprung into action.  As quickly as she could she pulled her pulse pistol out of its holster and brought it up towards Toben.  Unfortunately, Juli wasn't fast enough, and Toben had sensed her move and was already waiting for her.  He moved into her body, grabbing her extended wrist and crushed it.  Her wrist broken, Juli's gun dropped out of her hand, and she let out a grunt of pain.

Toben then moved his hand to Juli's throat and started to squeeze.  Juli could feel the air draining out of her and knew she needed to do something before the Rotarian killed her.  Remembering the knife that she kept in her boot, she grabbed it and jammed it as hard as she could into the arm that Toben was using to choke her with.

Toben let out a loud growl of anger and pain as he let go of Juli.  Juli fell to the ground, trying to breathe in as much air as possible.  She knew that she needed to get away, but she was so weak she could barely move.  Toben removed the knife from his arm and tossed it away from him.  He then dropped to one knee next to Juli, extended his claws, and was about to slice into her when John tackled him.

Unfortunately, as John was about to find out, tackling an enraged, half-crazed Rotarian who was easily three times stronger than you are was not exactly the smartest of ideas.  After falling to the ground, with John on top of him, Toben brought one of his legs underneath him and pushed out, sending John flying into the air like a rag doll.  John flew so far that he hit the back wall of the room.

Toben then got up; his arm bleeding from Juli's knife wound, and began to stalk towards John.  Meanwhile, John was trying to clear the cobwebs that were spreading across his mind.  He was amazed that he was even still conscious.  _How the hell do you stop this guy?  He's like Arnold Schwarzenager on PCP!_  

Without warning, John suddenly found himself in the corner of a boxing ring.  He looked down to see that he was wearing a pair of shorts and he had boxing gloves on his hands.  _Ah, Frell!_  "Not now Harvey, I'm kind of in the middle of something important right now."  

John felt a towel placed on his shoulders and a water bottle placed in front of his face.  Harvey then appeared in front of John, inspecting him as if judging if he could continue the fight.  "I know that John, but if you hadn't noticed you weren't doing to well.  I've come to offer my advice.  Rotarians are some of the best hand to hand fighters in the Uncharted Territories."

John responded sarcastically, "Tell me something I don't know Harv." 

Harvey continued as if he wasn't interrupted, "So stop trying to fight him on his own terms.  They are great fighters up close, but their weakness is that they can't fight very well when they lose that advantage.  Fight from a distance John."

The bell started ringing, signifying the beginning of the next round.  John stood up and Harvey took the towel off his shoulders.  John started to move towards the center of the ring, but he looked back to Harvey one more time.  Harvey was wearing a red jumper with the words Crichton in yellow written across his chest.  He had a cigar in his mouth, as he yelled out, "Remember John, stick and move!  Stick and move, John!"

John reached the center of the ring and found himself back in the chamber, on the floor with Toben still coming towards him.  John groggily got to his feet.  Harvey's advice of "Stick and move" was still echoing around his head.  _Sure, like it's that easy._

John saw a bunch of rocks lying on the ground next to his feet.  He reached down and picked them up.  He began throwing them as hard as he could at the advancing Rotarian.  One rock hit Toben squarely in the face while another hit him in his shoulder.  _Yes!  David aint got nothing on me._

John's victory was short lived though.  John only succeeded in making Toben even angrier.  Toben sped up his pace; he was charging John now.  John waited to the last second and then dived away as Toben ran into the wall.  Toben let out a grunt as he collapsed to the ground.  John took advantage of Toben's momentary lapse and kicked Toben as hard as he could in the knee of his right leg.  John heard something crack and Toben let out a cry of pain.

John was about to do the same thing to his other leg, when Toben's arm swung out striking John in the chest, hard.  John heard, more than felt, a few of his ribs breaking.  The pain was so intense that John fell to the ground.  Toben stood up, putting all his weight on his left leg, and he walked towards John as fast as he could.

Toben lowered himself to the ground and wrapped his hand around John's neck.  The claws on his hand partially extended until they were just slightly cutting into John's skin.  Toben spoke in low voice, "You have fought well, John Crichton, but you have lost.  I am the stronger warrior.  It is I who should be Prime.  My uncle must have only asked you to be Prime because you were the only one there.  It does not matter.  My honor demands that I kill you for insulting me.  You should not have challenged my authority."

John was consumed by panic.  He had to do something or he was about to become Rotarian shish kabob.  He began to move his hands up to try to pry himself free from the vice like grip holding onto his throat, when he felt something in the pocket of his pants.  John stuck his hand inside and felt his hand close upon Kwami's staff.  _Holy shit!  I completely forgot about this thing._

John hurriedly pulled it out of his pocket and placed it so that it was under Toben's body.  He began feeling along its surface for the niche that he had seen Kwami press in order to extend it.  He couldn't feel it anywhere and he began to panic again.  Right when Toben was about to fully extend his claws, John found the niche and pressed it.

What happened next was something that John would remember for a very long time.  Almost instantly the staff extended to its full length, or it would have if Toben's body hadn't been in the way.  The end of the staff hit Toben right in his left shoulder, completely shattering the socket, and sending Toben flying into the air.  Toben landed in a heap six feet away, writhing in agony.  His right hand was clutching his left arm trying to keep it still.

John looked at the staff in total shock.  He had no idea the staff was that powerful.  John carefully stood up, his ribs making it hard to breathe, and walked over to Toben.  John took the end of the staff and rammed it down hard on Toben's injured shoulder.  Toben cried out in pain.  "Do you give up Toben?  I don't want to kill you, but I will if you keep trying to attack me."

Toben gritted his teeth against his pain as he responded to John's question, "H-how did you get that?  That is my uncle's R'yclava.  He would never give that up.  It is his most cherished possession."

John looked down at the staff and then back at Toben.  "Kwami gave me this.  He said that it was mine now and that it was a symbol of my power.  That was when he asked me to lead the Rystalva.  He said that it belonged to me."

Toben seemed to be contemplating John's answer.  After a while he responded, "He really gave it to you, and said that you were to be Prime?"  He saw John nod, and then he became quiet again.

After what seemed like an eternity, Toben moved to stand up.  John warily moved back to give him room, but he still held the staff ready in case he needed to use it.  Toben stared at John for a long time, before he began to talk.  "All my life I have prepared for my eventual ascencion to the position of Prime.  I thought that you were trying to take that away from me, but I was wrong.  You can't take something that already belonged to you.  I see now that I was wrong to go against my uncle's wishes.  He chose you to lead the Rystalva and now I see why.  I apologize for attacking you and ask for your forgiveness."  Toben then got down on his knees in front of John, lowering his head as if he was expecting something bad to happen to him.

John was shocked at the sudden change in Toben's personality.  _Man, these guys really take their honor seriously,_ he thought to himself.  John didn't know what to do.  He placed his hand on Toben's good shoulder (John learned from Juli that placing your hand on someone's shoulder was a sign of respect and friendship in Rotarian culture).  "It's alright Toben, I forgive you.  It was just one big misunderstanding.  Besides, my day isn't complete without getting the dren kicked out of me at least once."

John saw Toben lift his head up and look at him sadly.  "I am sorry if I hurt you, John Crichton.  My anger blinded me."

"Hey, its okay.  Really, it is.  Just don't let it happen again."

Toben nodded at John enthusiastically, "I swear it will never happen again, John Crichton.

John looked at Toben thoughtfully for a while and then he began speaking, "You know what?  I'll make you a deal.  You obviously seem to know what your doing here, and your definitely one hell of a fighter.  So how would you like to be my Second?  And I promise that when I die, I won't choose anyone over you.  What do you say?"

Toben stood up to his full height, and answered John, "It would be my honor to be your Second, John Crichton.  I will serve you until the day I die.  I am yours to command."

John smiled and then laughed as he slapped Toben on the shoulder, "That's great, Toben.  But there's no need to be so melodramatic.  I just want you to do your best, not kill yourself."  John looked over to Juli lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious.  "Come on, let's go check on Juli.  You really did a number on her.  Then we will discuss our plans for the future of the Rystalva."

On a side note:  For anyone who is wondering about Moya and the others, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them.  The next chapter will be all about the crew and how they reacted to Aeryn's betrayal.  Stay tuned!


	5. And the Human Makes Seven

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** I'll try to make this brief.  This is my first ever story, so please forgive me for it.  I am only writing this story because the idea has been plaguing my mind for months, and putting it on paper was the only way to stay sane.  This will be a rather long story; it's actually a trilogy.  This is just the first part of what I hope will be a decently entertaining epic in the Farscape universe.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  Oh, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, this takes place in an alternate timeline than Season 3.  I have no intention in dealing with any of the issues that occurred during that time.

**Third Author's Note:** I'm sorry about the briefness of this chapter, but this is mostly a filler chapter.  Meant to add little details that will be important in future chapters.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 5: And the Human Makes Seven

Takes place around the same time as the events in _Free as a Bird, Caged as a Lion_-

            "Where is he?"

            Captain Von Stuben was not having a good day.  In fact, for all intents and purposes, he was having the worst day of his life.  Sure he had had bad days before, who hadn't?  But none of the bad days that he had ever experienced could ever come close to what he was going through now.  

It wasn't every day that a decorated war hero, like Captain Stuben, got his eema kicked            by a completely fahrbot former Peacekeeper, an enraged Luxan warrior, and a very bizarre Nebari.  If it were under normal circumstances, Stuben might have found the description of his assailants rather humorous.  It sounded like the beginning to a really bad joke: A Sebacean, a Luxan, and a Nebari walk into a bar…

Unfortunately, for Captain Stuben, his situation was no joke, as was so eloquently proven by the fact that he most likely had a broken nose and a few cracked ribs, courtesy of the aliens who were currently beating the dren out of him for information that he did not have.

The Luxan growled, "I will ask you one more time Peacekeeper.  Where is John Crichton?"

Captain Stuben practically yelled, "I already told you I have no frelling idea where John Crichton is!"

The Sebacean punched him in the face before speaking, "You are lying, Captain.  We know that you are in charge of all Peacekeeper personnel in this sector, and that also includes prisoners.  We also know that John Crichton was captured.  Now you are going to tell us where the Peacekeepers are holding him or I am going to stop holding back my companion and let him interrogate you the way he has been wanting to interrogate you from the beginning."

As if to give credence to the Sebacean's threat, the Luxan reached behind him and pulled out a Qualta sword and growled menacingly at the Captain.

Captain Stuben began to panic.  He had no intention of getting skewered with the Luxan's sword.  But he had no idea on how to convince the three aliens of his ignorance.  "I don't know where John Crichton is.  I received no notification of his capture and no prisoners matching his description have been processed within the last monen.  Perhaps you are mistaken and he was never taken prisoner.  Or maybe no one reported his arrest.  Regardless of what has happened to him, I have no frelling idea.  Believe me, I would know if someone of John Crichton's prominence had been captured."

Seemingly frustrated by his inability to give her a suitable answer, the Sebacean gave him a Pantak jab to the face knocking him unconscious.  "Frell!  Frell!"  The Sebacean was consumed by her anger and began hitting anything she could that was in range of her fists.  

"Calm down Aeryn.  Now is not the time to let our emotions get the better of us."  The Luxan spoke to his obviously emotionally unstable companion.

Since they had begun interrogating the captain, the Nebari spoke up for the first time.  "Why the frell did you knock him unconscious, Aeryn?  Now we have to wait until he wakes up!"

Aeryn spun around to face the Nebari, her face flushed with anger and her hands clenching at her sides.  "Shut up, Chiana!  I don't need dren from you right now"

Chiana sarcastically replied, "Oh that's too bad.  Poor Aeryn can't handle a little stress.  If it weren't for you we wouldn't even have to be doing this.  Sometimes I think you don't even care about finding John."  

Chiana knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as she opened her mouth.  Whatever control Aeryn might have had, vaporized instantly.  With a yell, Aeryn leaped at Chiana fully intending on killing her.  Luckily for Chiana, the Luxan intercepted Aeryn before she could get within striking distance of Chiana.  The Luxan wrapped his strong arms around Aeryn, locking her in place.  "That is enough!  Both of you shut up!"

Aeryn was still struggling wildly in the Luxan's embrace.  "Stop it Aeryn!  If you do not stop, I will tongue you."  His comment seemed to calm the raging Sebacean.  "We have more important things to deal with right now than your petty problems with each other, like finding John."  The last comment seemed to do the trick.  After she seemed relatively calm, he released her from his hold.

Aeryn looked embarrassed as she began to compose herself.  "I'm sorry D'argo.  You're absolutely right.  I don't know what came over me."

D'argo nodded his head in understanding, "I think I know."  He then looked at Chiana with an admonishing look on his face.  Chiana just smiled at him innocently and gave him a 'Who, me?' look.

            D'argo knew he better get them back on topic before another outburst occurred.  "What do you think?  Do you think he is telling the truth?"

            Aeryn looked thoughtfully at the still unconscious captain before answering D'argo.  "I don't know.  He acted like he really didn't know anything.  It's hard to tell."

            Chiana inserted her opinion, "Hello!  Professional thief and liar standing right here.  I can tell when someone is lying and when they aren't, and he was telling the truth."

            "I agree with Chiana.  He seemed to not know anything."

            Aeryn just let out a sigh of frustration.  "Frell, so that leaves us back at where we started, with absolutely nothing."

            "Agreed.  We need to leave.  There is nothing left on this planet for us." 

            D'argo and Chiana then left the room they were in, heading back to the transport pod.  Aeryn moved to follow them, but turned back toward the captain.  She walked up to him and kicked him hard in the stomach, as if to make herself feel better.  She then turned around and left the room, following the others.

            The transport pod ride back to Moya found Aeryn contemplating everything that had happened over the last monen.  She had known that it would have been impossible for the others on board Moya to understand what she had done; after all, she didn't even understand why she had done it herself.

            There were certain times, especially late in the sleep cycle, where she would briefly forget everything that had happened and find herself in front of John's cell wanting to talk to him.  Unfortunately, the reality of the last monen would come crashing down on her each time she walked by his cell and she would see that his cell was empty and would most likely stay that way forever.  

And then she would remember that it was her fault.  It was her fault that the man she loved more than anything was probably being tortured by Scorpius, instead of in his cell sleeping.  Ever since that day back on the commerce planet, she had been having nightmares of John in the Aurora Chair, or John being beaten by some anonymous Peacekeeper, or John lying on the floor of some cell broken and hopeless, a shell of the man that she had fallen in love with.

She couldn't get rid of the nightmares; in fact she didn't want to stop having them.  She saw them as just a small part of the punishment that she rightly deserved.  She knew she deserved everything that happened to her.

If it hadn't been for the fact that she had made a promise to herself to never stop, to do whatever was necessary to find John, she might have just given up.  But she knew she could never do that, not before she knew what had happened to John.  She needed to see him one last time and beg for his forgiveness.  Aeryn knew she didn't deserve it and that John would not give it to her, but she had to ask.  If she found John, she would never leave him ever again no matter what he did.  She might have ruined whatever chance they might have had for having a romantic relationship but that didn't mean she couldn't still be his friend and companion.  She would take whatever he gave to her.

The transport pod jarred Aeryn out of her contemplation as it hit a bit of turbulence leaving the atmosphere of the planet.  Aeryn looked up to see if everything was all right and looked right into the eyes of Chiana.  Chiana was looking at her with barely concealed contempt and hatred in her eyes.

Chiana had been a sore spot for Aeryn.  They had never had the best relationship before what happened to John, and whatever relationship they might have had, it had been destroyed when Chiana had found out what Aeryn had done to John.  Aeryn shouldn't have been surprised by Chiana's reaction, but she had.  She would have never thought that Chiana, out of everybody on the crew, would have taken John's absence so badly.  Aeryn had seriously underestimated the relationship that Chiana had with John.

Aeryn had expected D'argo to be the most angry and outspoken about his feelings, but in fact he had been the opposite.  He had been furious when he first learned of what Aeryn had done, and he had come very close to going into hyper rage, but ever since then he had been relatively calm and quiet.  Aeryn knew that he was still very angry, he just went out of his way to hide it.  Aeryn knew, from previous interventions during arguments between Aeryn and Chiana that D'argo thought that anger was counterproductive to finding John.

The others aboard Moya had acted much the way D'argo did.  Chiana was the only one who expressed her feelings so openly, and she was driving Aeryn crazy.  Chiana never hesitated to tell Aeryn exactly how she felt, at any opportunity she could get.  Aeryn was already incredibly hard on herself, she didn't need another person telling her every chance she got that she had betrayed John.

And so she and Chiana fought, frequently.  Usually they were just verbal arguments, but sometimes when Chiana said something really bad, much like she had down on the planet, the arguments turned physical.  Down on the planet had not been the first time that Aeryn had wanted to kill Chiana.  She was just thankful that D'argo had stopped her.  Aeryn already had enough to apologize to John for, she didn't want to have to tell him that she had also killed the person who she knew he considered to be like a sister to him.

Aeryn just hoped they found John soon.  She didn't know how much longer she could stop herself from hurting Chiana.  Unfortunately, they were having little or no luck in finding John.  They had spent the last monen, moving from planet to planet trying to find whatever information they could on John's possible location.  Aeryn knew from John's last transmission that he had been captured by the Peacekeepers, and so they had been searching for where he might have been. 

Everyone knew that if they did find John, they would find him along with Scorpius.  Aeryn knew that Scorpius would have wasted no time in grabbing his prize as soon as he heard about John's capture.  It didn't really matter to Aeryn who had John; she would not rest until he was safe.  As long as Scorpius had John, there was a very good chance that John would still be alive when they found him.

Aeryn felt a jolt as the transport pod touched down in Moya's large docking bay.  She got up, along with Chiana and D'argo, and walked down the boarding ramp.

Surprisingly, waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp was Rygel in his thronesled.  As soon as they reached the floor of the bay he spoke up, "So, did you get any valuable information?"

D'argo's gruff voice answered, "Unfortunately, no.  We were not successful."

Rygel briefly looked sad and disappointed, and then without saying anything else, turned his thronesled around and left the bay.  Aeryn was shocked by Rygel's show of emotion.  He had seemed so indifferent to the whole situation with John that she was surprised to see that he actually cared.

"Ahhhh, it looks like froggy actually cares.  Who would have thought?"

D'argo let out a gruff sound of chuckle at Chiana's comment and then left the docking bay.  Chiana left soon after, saying something about getting something to eat, Aeryn wasn't really paying attention.

As Aeryn was about to leave the bay herself, Pilot's voice came over her comm.  "Were you successful in finding any information on Commander Crichton's location Officer Sun?"

Aeryn slightly cringed at Pilot's cold tone.  Ever since the "incident" (As Aeryn had taken to calling it, she couldn't actually say that she had betrayed John) Pilot had been cold and aloof when it came to interacting with her.  Aeryn didn't blame him, but she missed his friendship.  "No Pilot, I'm afraid not."

"Moya and I are sorry to hear that.  Shall we prepare to starburst to the next location on the list?"

Aeryn sighed, "Yes, Pilot.  Starburst to the next commerce planet."

Pilot promptly responded, "At once, Officer Sun."  Pilot then activated the ship wide comm, "Everyone please prepare for starburst."

Aeryn felt Moya enter starburst, once again leaving another useless source of information and eating up valuable time.

Side note: The next chapter will contain the prophecy that sets the tone for my entire trilogy.  It is a very important chapter.  Please stay tuned!


	6. You Put the "O" in Oracle

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Oh, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, this takes place in an alternate timeline than Season 3.  I have no intention of dealing with any of the issues that occurred during that time.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  Thanks again to Bolo, you are like an undiscovered treasure trove of inspiration.  Please keep your ideas/thoughts/views coming.  You give me good input and I try to reflect that in my story.  Oh, and I have things planned for Juli that may or may not change people's opinion of her.

**Third Author's Note:** This chapter, along with the following two chapters, forms the crux of this story.  It is important to read them to understand everything.  It will be quite a while before we rejoin Moya and the crew, as these next three chapters are all about John and his fight with the Peacekeepers. 

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 6: You Put the "O" in Oracle

Takes place after the events in _Free as a Bird, Caged as a Lion_-

            It had been more than two weekens since Toben's attack in the Coliseum, as John had taken to calling the large, cavernous room, and for the first time since arriving on the planet of Rotar, things were starting to look up.

            The Rystalva was still recovering from the huge blow it had suffered by the Peacekeepers, but it was slowly getting back to what it had once been.  John had successfully assumed his leadership of the group, and Toben had happily accepted his position at John's side as his Second.

            John had been worried, at first, that Juli would have taken offense at John asking someone else to be his second in command, but thankfully Juli wasn't angry at being passed over.  In fact, when John had told her, she had expressed her relief at not having to handle that kind of responsibility any more.  She had confided in him that she was much happier just being a soldier, allowing other people to tell her what to do.  She had told him that she would have accepted if he had asked her, but that she was happy that he had chosen someone more qualified.

            John envied Juli and her ability to be just a soldier.  He envied her that she didn't have to think for herself, that she could do what others told her to do.  John tried not to think to much about what he was doing, but every once in a while the full weight of what he was doing would creep up on him and crush him.  

Here John was, just a human with no real military training, who had been considered deficient and stupid since the first day he had arrived in the Uncharted Territories, becoming the leader of a group of untrained, inexperienced, resistance fighters trying to win their freedom from one of the most ruthless and overpowering militaries in the galaxy.  It dwarfed John in its enormity.  

Fortunately, John had good people to help with the fight.  Since the death of Kwami, Juli was the only friend that John had, and they had been steadily growing closer.  Thankfully, Juli had stopped trying to pursue a romantic relationship with John for the time being, having realized that trying to have a relationship while also trying to build a fighting force good enough to take on the Peackeepers were two mutually exclusive things.

Things were even going well with Toben.  Whatever differences might have existed between the two had been resolved, and John was slowly starting to form a friendship with the huge Rotarian.  Which was a good thing, because Toben was extremely good at his job.  Not for the first time, John wondered what the hell he was doing leading the Rystalva when Toben was obviously qualified to do the job.  However, Kwami had asked him to do it, and so he did, but not without considerable assistance from Toben.

The best part of all, though, was the people that made up the Rystalva.  The Rystalva wasn't just made up of soldiers, although the majority of the members were in fact fighters.  The Rystalva was made up of people that had gotten sick and tired of the Peacekeepers oppressing them and had decided to do something about it.  They were normal people placed in extraordinary situations, much like John was.  They were scientists, doctors, mechanics, teachers, farmers, and an assortment of other jobs that one would never associate with the military.  They didn't want to do what they were doing, but the Peacekeepers had given them no choice.

They knew that the price of freedom was not cheap, but they were willing to pay the price if it meant that they could be free.  John had an enormous amount of respect and admiration for them.  He didn't know if he would, or if he could, ever become as dedicated as they were.  It was John's biggest fear that he would fail everyone and be responsible for their deaths.

Thankfully, everyone in the Rystalva had seemed to embrace John.  Of course John knew that he had many factors in his favor.  Most, if not all, knew of John's reputation and that gave him an almost mythic quality to many of the people in the Rystalva.  Another factor was that John was the chosen successor to Kwami and that Toben had willingly stepped to the side and acknowledged John as the true leader.  The biggest factor why he was liked, at least in John's opinion, was the fact that John was just one of the guys.  He didn't put himself above anyone else or treat anyone unfairly.  Everyone was equal to him and everyone got an equal chance.

Anyone who didn't seem to like John kept their mouth shut.  Ever since the incident with Toben, Juli had become extremely protective of John.  Juli immediately visited anyone who tried to threaten John or harm him, and they would have a "talk".  John knew that it wasn't exactly right, cutting down on free speech, and he had tried to stop Juli from doing it, but she didn't listen.  John knew that Juli blamed herself for letting him get hurt during the attack with Toben, and trying to get her to accept that it wasn't her fault was like talking to a brick wall.

And it wasn't like John could exactly stop her from doing what she wanted.  Juli was the one of the strongest willed person he had ever met.  As much as John might like to deceive himself that he could order her to do what he said, he knew that Juli only did what he said when she felt like it.  Not for the first time, John was reminded of how similar Juli was to Aeryn.  Both were very stubborn and strong willed people who did what they wanted, when they felt like doing it.  Of course that was one of the reasons why John had fallen in love with Aeryn in the first place, her strong personality.  John loved strong women.

As if knowing that John was thinking about her, John heard a knocking on the door to his quarters and heard Juli's voice asking to come in.  "Sure thing, kid.  Come on in."  Juli came in with a pained look on her face.  John knew that she hated being called 'kid', so he called her it any time he wanted to make himself think that he had some power over her.  It usually only lasted for a few microts, but it was long enough to make him feel better.  

"So what's up Juli?  Peacekeepers attacking?  World ending?  Ran out of toilet paper?"  John asked good-naturedly.

Juli looked at John confusedly and then gave him a look that reminded him of the way Aeryn used to look at him whenever he went on one of his inane ramblings.  _Stop it!  Stop thinking about her_.  John shook his head and then refocused on Juli.

"I have that list you wanted, of the people I want to see join the combat units."  Juli then handed John the list.  Juli may not have been his second in command anymore, but he still let her handle a lot of the things having to do with the military aspect of the Rystalva.  John skimmed over the list and noticed something that had been bothering him for some time.  He decided to ask Juli about it.

"There's something that I've been meaning to ask you about for a while but could never find the time for it."  John briefly paused to gather his thoughts, "How come I haven't seen any female Rotarians around, anywhere?"

Juli stared at him for a few microts, and then burst out laughing.  "Your serious?  That's your question?"  Juli saw John's pained look on his face and grew more serious.  "I'm sorry John, it's just that sometimes I forget that you're not Sebacean and have only been on Rotar for a few monens.  Female Rotarians are not allowed to join organizations like the Rystalva."

John had suspected something like this for a while.  "Why not?  Are males and females not equal on Rotar?"

Juli was still smiling, as she answered his question, "Of course not.  Far from it in fact. Females are considered much too valuable to be risked in such a dangerous group as the Rystalva."

John was very curious, "Really, why?"

Juli thought very carefully on how to answer John's question.  "For some reason that no one has ever been able to adequately explain, about a thousand cycles ago a genetic defect somehow entered the genetic makeup of the Rotarian species.  Instead of the usual 50/50 chance of having either a male or female child, the Rotarian females started having all male offspring.  Only about one in eight children are born female, and that number grows smaller every few hundred cylces.  Fortunately, most Rotarian females can have more than ten offspring in their lifetime, but eventually the females will become so rare that it won't matter.  Since there are so much fewer females out there, a decision was made that no female would ever be put in any position that would risk her life.

"However, because females were not very common, and because females have almost as dominant personalities as the males do, a joint decision was made between the males and the females that the males would handle all the dangerous and prominent jobs while the females stayed in the background and handled all the civil and governmental jobs.  So it is primarily the females that run the government and make most of the decisions, at least when it concerns planetary politics.  Naturally, there are Rotarians of both sex who are unhappy about the arrangement, but they are so few in numbers that they are relatively ignored."

John was stunned at Juli's explanation.  He had had no idea that the whole thing was so complicated.  "Wow!  No one has been able to figure out why so few females are being born in a thousand cycles?"

Juli inwardly smiled at John's curiousity; it was one of the things that she liked about him most.  "No John, no one has been able to figure out why.  They have searched for an explanation, but no one has ever been able to find one."

John sat quietly, digesting the new information.  It explained a lot, actually.  It explained why there were no female Rotarians in the Rystalva and why he hadn't seen any in the short time that he had been in the spaceport.  There was one more thing that he wanted to know about before he moved on, "What do they look like?  Are they the same size as the males?"

"Honestly, John, I have no idea what they look like.  I have never actually seen a female Rotarian before.  I only know about the situation because Kwami told me about it when I first arrived.  I too was curious about why I never saw any females.  Also, since the Rystalva is not a group sanctioned by the planet's government, I have had no reason to interact with any of them."

John was disappointed.  He had hoped that she would have known, and put the thought that had been nagging in the back of his mind to rest once and for all.  Now it was going to drive him crazy, thinking about what the females looked like.  When John became curious or interested in something he had to find out everything he could about the thing he was interested in before he could let it go.  It was the reason he had gone to space in the first place, the urge to explore the last great frontier of mankind.

John's voice was disappointed as he began talking again, "Damn, I was hoping you could tell me what they looked like.  I'm assuming the same rules that apply to the Rotarian females don't apply to the Sebacean females."

Juli was quick with her response, "Of course not, John.  Sebacean females have no problems producing female children.  There is no reason for us to live such a secluded life.  Besides even if that were the case, I would find some way around the rules.  I was born to fight." 

John laughed, "I'm sure you would, Juli.  I doubt anything could stop you from getting something you really wanted."

_Except you_, Juli thought bitterly.  Putting up a fake smile so that John would not notice her sudden change in mood.  Juli stood, "If there is nothing else you want me to do John, then I think I will go to bed.  Goodnight."

John waited until Juli left his room before getting off his bed and slipping on his black jacket.  He was going to go see Toben about some questions he wanted answered.  He hated sneaking around, especially since he was supposed to be the man in charge, but he knew that Juli would insist on going with him.  She had become his de facto bodyguard and she took her job very seriously.  John knew that she was tired and he wanted her to get some sleep, hence his sneaking around.  

He opened the door to his quarters and stuck his head outside to make sure that Juli wasn't in the hallway.  Once he saw the coast was clear, he made his way towards Toben's quarters.  They were on the other side of the complex.  Despite the relatively equal treatment both species gave each other, there were still some things that were segregated, like sleeping quarters.  The Rotarians tended to all sleep in one part of the complex, as did the Sebaceans.

As he was walking through the complex, he stuck his hand into his pocket and felt the metal sphere that was inside.  It was Kwami's staff that John was going to ask Toben questions about.  He had always been intensely curious about it, especially after seeing Toben's reaction to it during the attack in the Coliseum.  He wanted to learn about its significance and what it symbolized.

When he had first seen Kwami use the staff back in the alley of the spaceport on his first day on Rotar, he had assumed that it was a weapon that all Rotarians had.  However, it seemed he had been wrong.  Since that first day, he had only seen Kwami ever use a staff.  No other Rotarian that he had ever seen seemed to have one.  Which only made him even more curious.  _Could it be that he actually had a one of a kind item?_  If that were true, then he would need to seriously reevaluate its importance.

John tried to avoid as many people as possible as he walked to Toben's quarters.  He wasn't going out of his way to avoid being seen, but he wasn't going out of his way to be noticed either.  John knew that if he was seen, it would eventually get back to Juli, and she was not a person someone wanted to face when she was pissed.  As he knew she would be if she found out he went out on his own.  She was way too overprotective.  But, even though it was hard for John to admit, especially to his male ego, he was afraid of her.  _Who wouldn't be?  She used to be a frelling Disruptor!  _John had seen the things a Disruptor were capable of first hand.

Finally, after about a quarter of an arn, John reached Toben's quarters on the other side of the mountain complex.  John quietly knocked, and waited for Toben to open the door.  He knew that Toben was expecting him.

Toben opened the door and John stepped in.  Toben's quarters were in the typical Rotarian arrangement.  A bed, a small wooden chair, a few shelves, and, because Toben was an important person, his own lavatory.  That was it.  Toben's quarters would have made a Spartan seem downright opulent.  

John sat down on the wooden chair and Toben sat down on his bed.  "Thanks for seeing me Toben.  I know it's pretty late."

"It is not an inconvenience John Crichton.  Rotarians do not need as much sleep as Sebaceans do.  I am assuming that humans are the same way?"

John let out a sharp laugh, "Nah.  Most normal humans need a lot of sleep to function as well.  Since, I'm not normal, I figure why bother?"

Toben seemed to be confused, "Of course, John Crichton.  But if is normal for your species to get lots of sleep, then maybe we should reconvene this meeting at a later time."

John shook his head in the negative, "No, Toben, that's all right.  I've become used to not getting any sleep.  Besides, I have some very important questions to ask you that if you don't answer will keep me up all night anyways."

Toben shrugged his massive shoulders, his blue fur rippling across his body.  "If that is what you wish, John Crichton.  Please ask your questions."

John stood up, reached into his pocket, pulled out the metal sphere, and pressed the niche that he remembered extended the staff to its full length.  He saw Toben's fascinated gaze fall on the metal staff.  "What is this?"

Toben was enthralled with the metal staff in John's hand.  The staff was about six feet from end to end and the entire length was covered in ornately carved symbols.  The entire staff was metal, what kind John did not know, and seemed to be indestructible.  

After staring at the staff for a few microts, Toben returned his gaze back to John's face and answered his question.  "That, John Crichton, is called a R'yclava.  It is an ancient weapon used by the warriors on my planet more than a thousand cycles ago.  That R'yclava is the last of its kind, and has been in my family for more than fifteen generations."

John's curiosity was piqued, "Really?  Why is it the last of its kind?  What happened to all the other ones?"

Toben smiled at John's enthusiam.  "I don't know John Crichton.  All I know is that it has been passed down through my family for almost a thousand cycles.  Kwami was the last wielder of the R'yclava, and now the R'yclava belongs to you.  As far as I know, you are the first non-Rotarian to have the honor of using the R'yclava."

Everything Toben was saying was confirming what John had suspected; that the staff he was holding in his hand was very special.  John was getting excited.  He loved solving puzzles and the staff he was holding in his hand was a very big puzzle.  He was about to begin asking Toben more questions when he noticed a look of intense concentration on the Rotarian's face.  

Toben abruptly stood up, "Come, John Crichton, I wish to take a walk."

John was confused, "A walk?  Uh, sure Toben.  Any particular reason why?"

Toben looked back at John as he was walking through his door and answered John very cryptically, "Yes, John.  I have my own questions that need answering."

It had been a quarter of an arn since Toben and John had started their walk, and they had still not spoken to each other.  John wanted to talk, but he could see that Toben was so involved with his own thoughts that his questions would probably go unanswered.  John was beginning to worry.  This was very unusual behavior for Toben.  Rotarians were very smart, but they weren't exactly known for their heavy thinking.

At the moment, they were walking along a bridge that connected two buildings of the complex together over a large chasm.  It was very cold outside, not to mention dark, and John did not like what was going on.  There was a small part of him that was beginning to wonder if maybe Toben hadn't brought him to this secluded spot to get rid of him.  He thought they had solved their differences, but he was starting to worry that he was wrong.

John became even more apprehensive when Toben stopped in the middle of the bridge, where the light was the most diffused.  Toben turned to face out at the mountain range that the base was built on.  A cold wind was ruffling his fur as he stared at the mountains encased in the dark.  

Without turning to face John, he began to talk, "Do you know what R'yclava means in my language?"  John knew that it was a rhetorical question, so he didn't answer.  Toben continued on, "In my language R'yclava has many meanings.  The most ancient meaning of the word is 'the strength of life'.  Among my people, the R'yclava used to symbolize strength, power, respect, and honor.  Any Rotarian who wielded a R'yclava was both loved and feared.  They were the strongest warriors, the most respected leaders, and the most honorable men.  That faded over time though.  The R'yclava faded over time.  Now the common meaning of the word is 'weakness of the spirit'."

John was very confused, "I don't understand Toben.  What are you saying?"

Toben continued on in his somber voice, "My people have lost their way, John Crichton.  They are no longer the strong warriors of the past.  Now we are nothing more than techs, used by the Peacekeepers so that they can become warriors and enslave the galaxy.  A thousand cycles ago, my people would have not hesitated to fight the Peacekeepers at the first sign of their true natures, but instead we have let ourselves become weak and have let the Peacekeepers enslave us.  It took another species, the Sebaceans, to show us the error of our ways, and yet most of my people still refuse to fight."

Toben turned to face John with an earnestness that he had never seen before in the Rotarian.  "That has all changed now, though.  Now that you have come, John Crichton, everything will change.  You will free my people; I have seen it happen in my dreams.  And I will do all I can to make it happen in reality."

John sighed.  _Not another person thinking that I'm some kind of savior_.  "Look Toben, I'm a human being.  I'm not some god or some super soldier who can just snap his fingers and make all the Peacekeepers disappear.  There is a very real chance that I, that all of us, will fail."

Toben ignored John's speech.  "Give me your staff John.  Let me see it."

John briefly hesitated and then handed over the still extended staff.  He had wanted to put the staff away, but ever since they had come out onto the bridge John thought that it would be best to have the staff ready to use, just in case his fears about Toben came true.

Toben grabbed the staff in both of his massive hands and then looked it over.  He was turning the staff around in his hands when he found what he was looking for.  Near the middle of the staff, he saw that three symbols were slightly glowing.  Toben got a big smile on his face, as he looked John in the eyes. 

Toben bgan talking, "There was a legend about the R'yclava that I did not believe until now.  The legend tells of incredible abilities that the R'yclava could perform.  It could shoot beams of energy, much like a pulse gun, and it could do many other things that seemed too incredible to believe."

John interrupted Toben, "Well obviously the legend is wrong.  I've never seen that thing do anything except change its size.  Kwami never did any of those things either."

Toben was still smiling at John, "You are wrong.  The legend said that the R'yclava could only perform those things when it was in the hands of its owner, the one the R'yclava truly belonged to.  It was said that the R'yclava was genetically coded so that only the person with the right genetic code could activate it.  You have the correct genetic code, John Crichton.  I don't know how, but you have managed to activate the R'yclava."

John looked at Toben in total disbelief.  "How is that even possible?  That thing is over a thousand cycles old.  I'm only in my 30's and have only been here for two monens.  That thing can't be mine."

"It is true that it does not seem possible.  But it is true, John.  Look here, at these symbols.  They are glowing because you have activated it."

John still refused to believe him.  He signaled Toben to hand him the staff to look it over for himself.  "I have never noticed these glowing before.  I have had this thing for two weekens, why is now the first time I've seen it do that."

Toben thought carefully for a few microts.  "Perhaps it has always been glowing, and now is the first time you have seen it because it is dark out.  The glow is very faint.  It would be easy not to notice it during the day."

John was still not convinced.  He began to press his fingers all along the staff where the glowing symbols were.  "I'm sorry Toben, but you gotta be wrong.  This thing isn't doing anyth…" John trailed off as he saw the end of the staff starting to glow.  Without warning, a huge pulse of energy shot out from the end of the staff, flying toward one of the mountains in the distance.  The pulse traveled almost half a metra before it impacted against the side of the mountain.  The impact created a huge explosion and the entire area was bathed in light as debris began falling all over the place.  The base alarm was blaring and lights were shining all over the place as people began moving around trying to find out if they were under attack or not.  John and Toben ignored them. 

John picked himself up from the ground.  The recoil from the shot was so strong that it had sent John flying almost four feet before the railing of the bridge stopped him from flying off.  To say that John was shocked would have been the understatement of the century.  John yelled out in surprise, "Holy shit!  Did you frelling see that?"

Toben was very shocked as well.  He had heard that the R'yclava could do many things, but nothing compared to what he had just seen.  "It was most impressive," Toben said in as calm a voice as he could manage.

John stared at Toben increduosly, "Most impressive!  Most impressive!  I just blew up half a frelling mountain.  I'd say that was a little more than most impressive.  That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen."

John heard the sounds of people running on the bridge.  He looked up and saw Juli with three others; all of them had weapons and were scanning the area for signs of possible attackers.  John inwardly cringed when Juli saw him and got a very angry look on her face.  _Oh, frell.  She's pissed_.

"What in the name of Chulack is going on here?  And what the frell are you doing out here John?"

John didn't know why he was stuttering, and it was frustrating him to no end.  "I-I-I can explain everything, Juli.  There's no reason to get angry.  I was just taking a walk, that's all."

Juli's anger seemed to grow at John's attempt at reassurance.  "What the frell happened?  What was that explosion?"

John was still floundering, "It was the staff.  I was pressing some of the symbols on it and it suddenly fired.  Don't worry, we're not under attack."

Juli relaxed when she heard that they were not under attack.  She and her three companions lowered and holstered their weapons.  "You three can go back in.  I don't need you any more."

The three men with her looked grateful.  Since they had appeared John got a good look at them and noticed that they were not dressed very warmly.  _Probably came here right out of bed_.  One of the soldiers spoke up before leaving, "Thank you sir."

Juli then turned back to face John, her eyes blazing.  "What have I told you about going places without telling me?  I should kick your ass for not listening to me."

John immediately got defensive, "Hey I can take care of myself." Juli let out a snort of disbelief.  "I can!  Besides, it's not like I was alone.  I had Toben with me and this."  John then raised the staff to get her attention. 

John looked down at the staff and noticed that two more symbols, as well as the three previous ones, were glowing.  "What the hell?  Hey Toben, check this out.  More of these symbol thingies are glowing."

Toben took the R'yclava out of John's hands and studied the new symbols.  John spoke up, "What do those symbols mean Toben?"

Toben answered, still studying the staff, "I don't know John, but I think I know someone who does."

John felt some enthusiasm seep back into his body.  He really wanted to know what was going on with the staff.  "Great!  Let's go visit this person right now.  The faster we get this thing figured out, the faster I can stop worrying about blowing myself up."

John was starting to get tired.  He, Toben, and Juli had been walking for almost two arns through a steep and muddy pass that led deeper into the mountains.  Toben was in the lead with John bringing up the rear.  Toben had yet to tell them who they were going to see or even where they were going.

John looked towards Juli and saw her with her back ramrod straight, her head held high, and her body language screaming: Leave me alone!  If you bother me, I'll bite your head off.  

It had been two arns and she was still pissed about John ditching her.  Juli was unusually very talkative for a former Peacekeeper, and John missed having someone to talk to.  He decided to make nice.  The last thing he needed was to have his only friend get pissed at him for something so stupid.

John sped up a bit and grabbed for her arm to slow her down.  He felt her immediately tense up, and John suddenly had a flashback of what had happened the last time he had grabbed an ex-Peacekeeper like that.  _I ended up unconscious in a gutter and abandoned on a strange planet_.  John definitely did not want a replay of the incident with Aeryn so he immediately let go of her arm.

Juli turned her head around to look at him, but she still kept walking.  "What do you want John?"

John began to apologize, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going.  I know how you feel about me going out on my own, even though I don't agree, and I didn't mean to piss you off."

Juli seemed to let go of some of her anger at John's apology.  "It's okay John.  I know you like your independence but you can be so careless sometimes and I worry about you.  I don't want anything to happen about you.  I care about you too much."

John gave Juli a tender smile, "I know you do, Juli.  That's why I don't get so mad.  But you really need to loosen up.  You can't control my life and have to let me do what I want.  You have to let me live, even if that means that I might hurt myself."

John was going to continue when Toben suddenly stopped.  "What's up, Toben?"

Toben turned to face a cave that was cut into the mountain.  "We're here."

Toben then walked inside the cave.  John and Juli looked at each other and then John shrugged his shoulders and followed Toben inside.  Juli was right behind him.

John started walking down an incline that led deeper into the cave.  John could feel the air get warmer the closer he got to whatever their destination was.

Aften ten minutes of walking down a path, John finally began to see a light coming from a room at the end of the path.  Toben stopped at the room's entrance and then turned to face John and Juli.  "I will go first and inform her of your visit.  She is used to only seeing me.  She hasn't left this cave for more than thirty cycles so it may come as some surprise to see you two.  She is not used to Sebaceans."

Toben entered the room and began talking in hushed tones.  After about 30 microts he came out and motioned them into the room.

John stepped into the room first and was bombarded by a sudden rush of heat.  There was a rather large fire off in a corner of the room and the room felt almost oppressive compared to the coldness of outside.  Fortunately, the heat was not bad enough to prevent Juli from entering as well.  John scanned the room and noticed a bed in another corner, along with shelves carved into the wall of the cave.  The shelves were covered in old books and other assortments.

John's gaze soon fell upon the center of the room.  There was a high ceiling with an opening that led all the way to the open sky.  Standing below the opening was something John thought he might never see: a female Rotarian.  At least what he assumed was a female Rotarian.  After the incident with the Flax and the Zenetan garbage scowl, John was never a hundred percent sure about the sex of the aliens he met.

The female Rotarian looked nothing like the males.  She was short, at least two feet shorter than Toben was, and was significantly thinner.  While the males that he had seen could weigh close to two hundred pounds, the female Rotarian standing in front of him looked like she could barely weigh more than one hundred pounds.  Of course, if John was right, then she could have weighed so less because she was old.  Very old.  She was so old it was difficult to tell the color of her fur.  If John would have guessed, she might have once been covered in brown fur, but now her fur was a mixture of whites and grays.

John moved out of the entrance to allow Juli to enter and walked over to Toben who was standing next to the old Rotarian.  As soon as John walked up to them, Toben began speaking, "This is Rayna, one of the oldest living Rotarians.  She was alive during the time when the R'yclava was still in common use.  If there is anyone who will be able to answer your questions, it's her."  Toben turned to the old Rotarian and began speaking in a very reverent tone, "Rayna, you honor us with your prescence.  It is my honor to present the new Prime of the Rystalva, Joh…"

With a wave of her hand, Rayna cut Toben off.  "Yes, Toben, I know who it is that stands before me.  John Crichton, human and astronaut, and possible savior of the Rotarian people.  I know all there is to know about this man."

John was very unnerved by the old Rotarian.  She said she knew everything about him, yet he had never seen her before in his life.  He hated it when people he didn't know knew so much about him.  It almost always turned out bad for him.  John was also a little freaked out by the old Rotarian's voice.  He had expected, because of her age, to have a rough and quiet voice.  Instead she spoke clearly, loudly, and with very little indication that she was over a thousand cycles old.

Rayna paused after seeing John's sudden wariness.  "Ah…you have nothing to fear John Crichton.  I have no reason to hurt you; in fact I wish to help you.  Tell me the questions you seek answers to."

John was still wary about the Rotarian as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the R'yclava.  He pressed the niche that sprung the staff to life, and presented the extended staff to Rayna.  "I want to know why this thing suddenly has the ability to shoot really big bolts of light out of its ass, and I want to know how it is that this thing became activated by my genetic code."

The old Rotarian stared at the gleaming staff before speaking up in a hushed tone.  "I have waited my whole life for this day.  I never thought I would ever see it come to pass.  They said that you would come, but I have never believed them till this day.  They told the truth, I can't believe they were telling the truth."

John had had enough of all the cryptic, and messianic talk coming from first Toben, and now the old Rotarian.  John just wanted answers, not more questions.  He was a little pissed.  "What the hell are you talking about?  Could you please just tell me what I want to know, and stop with all this other dren."

Toben looked at John shocked.  He exclaimed, "John Crichton!  You must not speak to her like that.  That is not allowed.  She is to be respected and honored."

Rayna spoke up before Toben could continue, "That is okay, child.  It is alright.  I understand his impatience."  She turned to John, "I apologize John Crichton, but I never thought this day would come.  When you have lived every day for a thousand cylces, waiting for something to happen, you will understand my excitement."

John looked chastised and sent a silent apology to Rayna for exploding at her.  Rayna stopped standing and sat down, crossing her long legs under her.  "Come, John Crichton, sit and I will tell you a story.  What I am about to tell you is something that no one on this planet has known for a thousand cycles."

John sat down in front of her and waited for her to begin.

As soon as he sat down, she began talking in a melodious voice.  "More than a thousand cycles ago, before I was even born, the Rotarian people commanded a large alliance of planets that spanned across four sectors.  In this alliance there were hundreds of planet, with billions upon billions of people living on them.  We ruled fairly and justly; we were a peaceful people.  It was the golden age of my people."

John had so many questions to ak, _like what happened to this empire_, among other things.  But he kept his mouth shut and let the old Rotarian keep talking.  "Unfortunately, as with so many other things, this golden age of my people came to an end.  There was a race of aliens who called themselves the Stakari, who felt that our territory belonged to them.  It had been more than 500 cycles since we had fought a real war, and our people were totally unprepared for fighting an enemy as ruthless as the Stakari.  We were warriors yes, but we had lost that edge of constant vigilance.  By the time we had awakened and realized the dangers arrayed against us, it was too late.  Our alliance was crumbling, there was infighting amongst the member worlds, and the enemy had already conquered three sectors of our space."

Rayna stopped speaking and grabbed for a cup of water next to her.  She took a few sips before continuing on.  "After only two cycles of fighting, the Stakari were preparing to attack Rotar.  We were outnumbered, outgunned, and outmatched.  My people were desperate and began looking for any means to avoid being conquered by the Stakari.  In our desperation we came upon another alien race, who simply called themselves the Ancients, who agreed to help us for a price."

John sat back stunned.  _The Ancients!  The same guys who gave me the wormhole knowledge._  John was definitely interested in everything she said now.  This was the last thing he was expecting to hear.

Rayna saw the look of total shock on John's face.  "Yes, John Crichton.  The same aliens, who have placed the universe on your shoulders, also placed the universe on our shoulders as well.  You see, the price that they asked for, the price that would insure the Stakari never conquered the Rotarian people, is that we lose.  In order to save our people we agreed that we would lose our position in the alliance and that we would be confined to our planet for the next thousand cycles and let events in the galaxy occur without our influence.  In order to make sure that we became too occupied to worry about what was going on in the galaxy, the Ancients did something to the DNA of our species that prevented females from being born.  Our people would never risk another war because it might mean that too many people would be killed and we would not be able to replenish our population."

Rayna drank some more water before speaking again.  "However, because the Ancients saw that we were the victims of unwarranted aggression and because we were a good and fair people, they told us that in a thousand years someone would come that would lead our people back to our past greatness.  We would once again reclaim our place in the galaxy.  The Ancients called this person the Rystal, which means 'bringer' in our language.  He would be from a different world, an alien, who embodied everything that we used to believe in.  They promised us that he would come eventually, they would make sure of it."  

"After a thousand cycles had passed, and no one had appeared to claim their position as Rystal, my people began to lose faith.  That is when the Peacekeepers came.  Much like the Stakari, they succeeded where they had failed, and conquered us without much of a fight.  I myself began to lose faith, but then I felt you arrive on this planet, and I knew that you were the one."

John was speechless; he didn't know what to say.  It wasn't every day that he was told he would lead an alien species to victory over their enemies.  It was very unnerving and John did not like it one bit.  _When are these people going to get it in their head that I'm not their savior._

"Look, Rayna, I'm sorry, but I'm not this Rystal guy you're talking about.  I don't know anything about what you're saying, and quite frankly I don't want to know.  All I wanted to learn was what this staff does, not learn that I'm supposed to be your people's leader."

Rayna leapt up with surprising swiftness and walked over to John.  "Oh but you are John Crichton.  The R'yclava confirms it.  That staff was given to Toben's family over a thousand cycles ago, and they were told to keep it in their possession until they found the Rystal.  The Ancients said that the Rystal would feel drawn to the R'yclava and that he would activate it.  The R'yclava would symbolize the Rystal's power and identity.  The person who activates it will be the Rystal.  So you see, John Crichton, you activated the R'yclava.  You are the Rystal."

John leapt up himself and threw his hands up into the air.  He shouted out in frustration, "This is all bullshit!  You don't understand!  I want nothing to do with this.  All I wanted when I came to this planet was to buy some frelling supplies, not get involved in an ancient promise made to you by some wacked out aliens who thinks its fun to put unique and dangerous information in your head without telling you.  I just wanted to be left alone, but like always, what I want doesn't happen.  I accepted that, and I even promised to free you people, but I will not accept that I am your Rystal and that it is my responsibility to save your people.  Besides, there is no way I could be the one you're talking about.  I hadn't even met these Ancients until two cycles ago."  By the time John stopped he was breathing in huge gulps of air and was still prowling around the room.

Rayna smiled and looked at John humorously, "Are you finished John Crichton?  I must say you are a very unusual being.  If you don't believe me, then let me show you."

John abruptly stopped and looked at Rayna.  "Show me?  How can you show me?  All this stuff happened over a thousand cycles ago."

Rayna walked back to where she had been sitting and picked up the staff.  She walked over to John and handed the staff to him.  She then pointed to four symbols on the staff.  "Press these symbols and everything will be revealed to you."

John looked warily at the staff.  He still remembered what had happened last time he began pressing strange symbols.  But if he really wanted to prove everyone wrong then he better do what she said.  

John pressed the symbols on the staff and a bright light came out of the end.  John turned the staff so that it was horizontal, and saw that an image was slowly starting to form on the wall of the cave in front of him. 

John concentrated on the image forming on the wall.  What he saw was something that he hoped was something he would never see again.  Something that still made him mad whenever he thought of him.  Someone that he would recognize no matter how old the image was.  Standing in front of him, displayed on the wall, was the alien that had put the wormhole knowledge into his brain.  Standing in front of him was the man that had impersonated his father.  Standing in front of him was the Ancient who went by the name Jack.  And he was beginning to talk.

Side note: The war begins against the Peacekeepers and John meets someone who may shift the balance of power in the Uncharted Territories.


	7. Different Wavelengths

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Oh, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, this takes place in an alternate timeline than Season 3.  I have no intention of dealing with any of the issues that occurred during that time.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  Oh, and I have things planned for Juli that may or may not change people's opinion of her.

**Third Author's Note:** I apologize for how short this chapter is.  I never indented for this chapter to ever be, but it snuck up on me out of nowhere.  This chapter was actually supposed to be part of Chapter 6, but things did not work out the way I wanted and ended up with this chapter.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 7: Different Wavelengths

            John could not believe his eyes.  Standing not more than four feet away from him, a holographic image of a person that he would have preferred never to see again was talking to him from a thousand cycles in the past.

            "Hello, John.  If you are seeing this message then you have finally arrived at the planet of Rotar and met Rayna.  I am sure she has already said what I am about to tell you, but I think that you will believe it more coming from me."

            The Ancient known as Jack stopped talking briefly, before continuing in his deep voice.  "Fate, John.  Fate brought you to this side of the Universe, fate brought you and me together, and fate brought you to this planet.  I know that you believe in fate, John.  Trust in fate John.  Believe me when I tell you that you are here for a reason.  That you were meant to be here."

            Jack paused and stared out at John, as if staring into his soul, even though the message was more than a thousand cycles old.  "I know that you don't believe me, John.  I know that right now you are wondering how this is possible.  How a message from me a thousand cycles in the past could be possible when we only met two cycles ago?  Just think about this, John.  Wormholes cannot only travel from one location to another; they can also be used to travel from one time to another.  Wormholes are tears in space, John.  With them anything is possible."

            "I know that you don't want to help these people fight their wars.  I know that you would rather be on Moya.  But you must help them John.  They need you.  They don't know what the galaxy has become.  They don't know how it's changed.  They don't know how unforgiving it has become.  Even if they manage to somehow defeat the Peacekeepers, they would never be prepared for the rest of the galaxy."

            "I remember your father telling you that you need to be your own kind of hero.  This is your chance.  We made a promise to them that we would provide them with a leader.  We chose you because of who you are.  No one else in this corner of the galaxy has the right values needed to lead them and to understand them.  I only wish that I could be there myself to help you.  But my people have found a planet for us to finally call home, and I must leave this part of the Universe.  I am sorry for abandoning you to this fate, but I have no choice."

            "However, I wish to give you a parting gift.  To thank you for agreeing to help them.  For I know that you'll help them, it is not in your nature John Crichton to not help someone in need, no matter how much you have changed.  Goodbye, John."

            With that said, the message ended and the light faded at the end of the staff.  John just stood, staring numbly at the wall.  A million questions were flying around inside his head.  There were so many that he didn't know where to start.  He just stared at the staff, wishing he had never ever seen the thing.

            In anger and frustration, John threw the staff down onto the ground.  As soon as the staff hit the ground, a blinding white flash shot out from the staff.  The room was bathed in light and everyone had to shade their eyes.  When everyone opened their eyes and waited for them to readjust, they noticed a lump on the ground next to the staff.  The lump was John and he was unconscious.

            Inside John's head a battle was raging.  On one side was John Crichton: human, scientist, and all around good guy.  On the other side was John Crichton: human, warrior, and ultra paranoid schizophrenic.  Unfortunately, it was difficult to tell who was winning.

            At first it seemed that pre-Scorpius John had the upper hand, but then, without warning, post-Scorpius John launched a devastating counter attack.  Flashes of every bad thing that had ever happened to him since he had come to the Uncharted Territories replayed themselves inside John's mind in glorious Technicolor.  Images of John in the Aurora Chair, images of John killing Aeryn, images of Zhaan sacrificing herself to spare him all came rushing back to him.

            Pre-Scorpius John could not lose.  If he did then everything that made him who he was before he came to the Uncharted Territories would disappear, and all that would be left was everything that he disliked about himself.  He would become a Peacekeeper: uncaring, unsympathetic, ruthless, and untrusting.  He didn't want to become that person, but he also knew that he needed that person to continue surviving.

            Post-Scorpius John also knew he could not lose.  If he did then everything that he had learned about surviving in the Uncharted Territories would disappear, and all that would be left was everything that he hated about himself.  He would become just a Human again: ignorant, stupid, compassionate, and trusting.  If he became that person again, he knew that he would die.  He didn't want to die.

            John was going insane.  The two parts of his personality were fighting over his mind, trying to assert their dominance.  Why this was happening, John did not know, but he suspected it had something to do with the white flash that he had seen come out of the staff.  Somehow that flash had created this battle for supremacy.

            He just wished that people would stop messing with his mind.  Once again, the Ancients had screwed him over.  _Parting gift my ass_, John thought.  His mind was starting to feel like it was in a blender.  Images of the last two cycles were playing around in his mind, in complete random order.  Some were good, but most were bad.  John could tell that Post-Scorpius John was winning, but John did not want him to win.

            John didn't want Pre-Scorpius John to win either.  He wished the two parts of his personality to merge, to become one.  That way he would have the best of both personalities.   

            A white flash suddenly happened in John's mind, and the two Johns fighting for his mind stopped fighting.  After the flash died down, John saw the alien Jack standing next to the two Johns.  Jack spoke out in his deep voice, "I am sorry John Crichton for causing this confusion in your mind, but it was necessary for you to come to terms with who you are.  You are no longer the ignorant human, and you do not want to become the unemotional Peacekeeper.  I will help you heal your mind, John Crichton."

            John then felt a blinding pain in his mind.  The pain was so intense that it felt like his mind was being ripped apart.  Inside his mind, and outside his mind, he let out an anguished scream.  

            Almost as soon as the pain started, it stopped.  John looked for the two personalities that had been fighting over him and noticed they were gone.  In their place John saw one version of himself.  Jack was standing next to the new John. 

            The new John stared at Jack with pain and confusion in his eyes.  He croaked out, "What the hell was that?"

            "I tried as best as I could to heal your mind, John.  Your mind had been torn apart and tampered with so many times over the last two cycles that I don't think it will ever completely heal.  I tried to reconnect your mind, merging your conflicting personalities into you.  You are now what you consider to be the best version of yourelf.  You are John Crichton: human, scientist, warrior, and survivor.

            John could feel a change in himself.  He no longer felt like he was being torn in different directions.  As John was surveying his new self, a thought came to him.  "What about Harvey?" he asked Jack excitedly.  John felt conflicted.  He hated Harvey because of the person he represented, and yet ever since John had assumed complete control over him, Harvey had become an unwelcome, but tolerated, companion.

            Jack stared at John before answering, "You speak of the neural clone inside your mind?"  Jack saw John nod his head before he continued, "The neural clone proved difficult to remove.  He was quite entrenched inside your mind.  I managed to remove a large portion of the clone, but I'm afraid that a part of him will always be a part of you John."

            John was disappointed that Jack had not been able to get rid of Harvey.  There was a small part of John that was happy though.  Harvey was the only one who had never abandoned him, or lied to him, or ever let him down.  Sure he had tried to take over his mind, but he had always been upfront with John about what he was trying to do.  If Jack had removed Harvey before the chip's removal, John would have been jumping for joy.  But now, John knew that he depended on Harvey to help him out of bad situations.  Harvey was like John's spider sense, always telling him when danger was coming.

            John stopped thinking about Harvey when he realized that Jack was talking.  "Now that I have helped you heal your mind, John.  It is time to give you your gift.  Many of my brethren did not want me to do this, but I convinced them that you would need the knowledge inside your head to properly perform your role as the Rystal.  I am going to release the knowledge of wormholes, John.  The knowledge will not come all at once, in fact it may take many monens before everything comes together, but it will all come to you in time."

            John said bitterly, "I thought you said that if I was not smart enough to figure it out on my own, then I should not have the knowledge?  Isn't that why you never gave it to me in the first place?"

            "Much has changed since then John.  You have changed.  You are no longer the person you once were.  You have proved that you would never divulge the information you carry in your mind.  My gift to you for your help is that you will eventually be able to go home.  You do still want to go home, don't you?"

            John was caught off guard by Jack's question.  "Of course I do.  Deep down, I never thought I would though.  I never thought I would ever figure out those damn equations you put in my mind.  Besides, I wanted to go home to Earth with Aeryn, and with her gone and with everything happening here, I sort of forgot about it."

            Jack nodded his big head, "That is understandable, John.  But if you succeed and lead these people to their freedom, you will be able to go home, for as long as you wish.  You are their leader, you must embrace that fact.  As soon as you accept that you are the Rystal, that we have made sure that you are the Rystal, then the faster you can rid this planet of Peacekeepers and be free to go home."

            John hung his head, "I know that, but it doesn't make this any easier.  I never wanted this kind of responsibility.  I never wanted an entire planet to depend on me."  
            Jack smiled, or at least what passed for a smile on his face.  "I know that John, but the choices you have made have brought you here.  You have made an impact on the galaxy that has already affected billions of people.  The fact that you continually refuse Scorpius is proof enough that you are the right person for the job."

            Jack turned his head for the side before continuing, "You're friends are beginning to worry, John.  It is time for you to go back.  I will leave you now.  Remember that you are the Rystal.  You must believe you are, or you will fail."  

            There was another bright flash, and Jack was gone.  John was alone in his mind with his thoughts.  Thinking about whether or not he could actually do it.  Whether or not he could be what they wanted him to be.  He had no idea, but he was sure as hell going to try.

Side note: John unifies all the resistance groups under the Rystalva and begins the war with the Peacekeepers.


	8. No, That's MY Boomstick!

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Oh, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, this takes place in an alternate timeline than Season 3.  I have no intention of dealing with any of the issues that occurred during that time.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  Oh, and I have things planned for Juli that may or may not change people's opinion of her.

**Third Author's Note:** I am finally back on track with how I want my story to be.  This chapter begins the war with the Peacekeepers (finally!). It will not be till Chapter 10 when we meet up with Moya and the others again. 

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 8: No, That's MY Boomstick!

Takes place one weeken from the events in _Different Wavelengths_-

            "I want to thank you all for coming here today.  I know it wasn't easy for you to leave all your responsibilities and come here, and I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it."  When John spoke, his words were warm and friendly.

            As soon as he finished, John abruptly changed his tone to a much more serious one.  He leaned forward in the chair he was sitting in and placed his elbows on the table in front of him.  "OK, now that we got the pleasantries out of the way, it's time we got down to business.  For many cycles now you twelve have been leading your groups in rebellion against the Peacekeepers and look at what you have accomplished.  Nothing.  In all this time you have yet to make any significant headway against the Peacekeepers."

            John stopped talking to judge the reactions of the twelve people sitting at the table in front of him.  The five Sebaceans, because of their similar human-like features, were easy to judge.  The seven Rotarian males were a little bit more difficult to judge, but John could definitely see signs of anger starting to appear on their faces.  Rotarians did not like being told they were failures, the same things could be said of the Sebaceans.

            John began talking, hoping to assuage their anger with his next statement.  "Now that is not to say that it is your fault.  You have done the best that you could against a much more superior foe.  The fact of the matter is, though, that you are nothing more than a thorn in the side of High Command.  Something they would like to see gotten rid of, but not something that worries them or is a priority."

            John paused once again to study the twelve faces in front of him.  One of the reasons he had called for the conference of resistance leaders, was so that he could get a feel for who they were.  He wanted to know whom he was going to be dealing with.  And whether or not they could get the job done.  

So far, John had not been disappointed.  From his initial meeting with the twelve Primes, he could tell that they all seemed very capable people.  Which comforted John to no end.  He would have hated to have to replace someone.

John began up again, "Unfortunately, if we ever plan to be rid of the Peacekeepers for good, that will have to change.  We can no longer afford to be an annoyance.  We must be taken seriously, and we will never be able to accomplish that when we are as fractured as we are."

"As any decent resistance fighter knows, that when fighting a vastly larger enemy, one must use his advantages against him.  When an enemy is large, you must be small, when an enemy is slow, you must be fast, and when an enemy depends on overwhelming firepower, you must cause as much damage as possible with as little effort as possible.  These tactics would be perfectly acceptable if we had an unlimited amount of time and we were fighting against an enemy that respected the rules of war.  Unfortunately, we don't have unlimited time and as soon as the Peacekeepers get pissed off enough, they will do everything possible to stop you.  That includes attacking civilian targets."

John saw many of the twelve nodding their heads in agreement.  _Good.  They're listening and they're agreeing.  This could not be going any better._  "Giving the Peacekeepers the opportunity to attack civilians is unacceptable under any circumstances.  The only way to stop the Peacekeepers from attacking civilians is to keep them occupied.  And the only way to do that is to have a much bigger target for them to shoot at.  If we make the Peacekeepers focus solely on us, they will be too busy to attack civilians."

Now it was time for John to drop his bombshell, the whole reason for the conference.  "So, after careful consideration and a lot of planning on the part of my Second, the Rystalva has decided to stop hiding and bring the fight to the Peacekeepers.  In two solar days, the Rystalva will assault the Peacekeeper armory in Rotar."

John heard a collective gasp come out of the mouths of the twelve people sitting at the table.  John understood their shock.  When Toben and Juli presented their plan to attack the armory, John had initially refused.  The armory was one of the largest, most heavily guarded, and most high profile Peacekeeper targets on the planet.  When John had said he wanted them to come up with something to get the Peacekeepers' attention, attacking the armory was not what he had in mind.  It had taken nearly a weeken to convince him that attacking the armory would actually work.

They had convinced him that the benefits from a successful attack would be astronomical.  They would get the Peacekeepers attention, like he wanted, they would have a previously untapped source of state of the art weapons, and if they were successful, it would be a huge blow to the Peacekeeper war effort and a blow to their morale.  

Unfortunately, as with any plan of this nature, the costs could be astronomical as well.  It would take nearly every soldier the Rystalva had, all 800 of them, to just have a chance of actually winning.  If they failed, the Rystalva would be destroyed.  They would never be able to recover from a blow like that.  It was basically an all or nothing kind of plan.

After the twelve seemed to recover from their shock, John resumed his speech.  "I understand your concern.  It took quite a while for my own advisors to convince me to do it, but they did convince me.  A successful attack on the armory would be a huge boost to the resistance movement.  Not to mention how much fun it will be embarrassing the Peacekeepers."

One of the Sebaceans spoke up, "Fun?  You are talking about having fun?  What you are talking about will bring the Peacekeepers into a full-scale war.  We are not ready for that.  You can't do this, it will destroy everything we have been working for."

John's voice lost its lighthearted tone and his voice became more rough, "Do not tell me what I can or can not do.  I did not bring you all here to ask for your permission.  I brought you here as a courtesy, because I thought you deserved to know what one of your fellow resistance groups was planning to do.  If you twelve are too afraid to fight the Peacekeepers face to face, then that is your problem, not mine."

John knew he had said the wrong thing as soon as the words left his mouth.  Almost as one, all twelve people leapt out of their seats and let out an angry outcry.  John grimaced.  He had forgotten how sensitive people were on this planet when it came to their honor.  Calling them all cowards was probably the worst thing he could have done.

One of the larger Rotarian males started moving towards John, his claws extended and murder in his eyes.  John was defenseless, since he was still sitting in his chair.  Sure he had Wynonna with him, but there was no way he could get to her in time to stop the advancing Rotarian.  Thankfully, John had Juli.

With a loud and clear tone Juli shouted at the Rotarian, "Stop right, there.  I don't want to shoot you, but if you take another step I will not hesitate to kill you.  Do you understand me?"  Juli had her pulse pistol out and was pointing it at the angry Rotarian.  The Rotarian sensing his imminent danger, stopped immediately.

Still keeping her eye on the angry Rotarian she shifted her gaze to the other eleven people in the room who were still very angry.  "That goes for all of you as well.  I will shoot anyone who tries anything.  All of you sit back down, and shut up." 

Juli waited until all twelve people had sat back down before holstering her pulse pistol and resuming her position standing next to John.  John was very glad that he had listened to Juli when she said that he might need her during the conference.

John immediately began apologizing to the twelve Primes.  "I'm sorry.  I had no intention of angering you.  It was a poor choice of words.  Sometimes my mouth says stuff before my brain can realize what's going on."

Some of the twelve got noticeably calmer, mostly the Sebaceans, and seemed to be willing to listen to John.  "I realize that after what I just said, now might not be the best time to explain why I asked you here, but I have very little time left before my duties acquire my attention.  I'll make this brief.  If so many of you are worried about the Peacekeepers starting a full-scale war, then perhaps it would be best if we unified our forces and attempted to fight them on equal terms."

After John's statement, the room, which had been so loud just a few moments earlier, became completely silent.  John studied the faces of the twelve people sitting in front of him.  Unfortunately, their faces were too impassive to judge.

John was about to ask them for an answer, when one of the Rotarian Primes began laughing.  He had a deep and loud laugh that carried throughout the room.  Everyone stared at the laughing Rotarian, John most of all.  What he had proposed was not a laughing matter.

The laughing Rotarian stopped laughing and began speaking.  "You definitely live up to your reputation, John Crichton.  I had heard that you were an unpredictable, arrogant, and a very self-righteous man, but I did not believe what they said until now.  After calling us failures, telling us that you were going to start a war with the Peacekeepers, and then calling us cowards, you still expect us to listen to what you are saying."

John sighed.  _I really frelled up with that coward comment_.  "I understand your viewpoints and your reluctance, but I disagree with you.  Whether or not you like me should not enter into your decision to unify our forces."

The Rotarian started laughing again, but quickly trailed off.  "On the contrary, John Crichton.  You misunderstood me.  I happen to like you very much.  Your audacity is a quality I greatly admire.  It would be my honor to have my group join yours."

The Rotarian stood up to his full height, and spoke to the others around him.  "I am Krant, Prime of the Ryva and it is my honor to join the Rystal and the Rystalva in their fight against the Peacekeepers."

As soon as Krant was finished, three more Primes stood up and expressed their desire to join John.  In less than five minutes, all twelve stood up and said they would be willing to join him.  

John was speechless.  The quick change in the personalities of the people in front of him would never cease to amaze him.  Just a moment ago they were willing to kill him, and now they wanted to join him in fighting the Peacekeepers.  All because one of them had stood up, the others soon followed like dominoes.  John had to meet this Krant.  Anyone who had that kind of respect, John needed.

John motioned everyone to sit down.  "I have to say that this sudden change in your attitudes is a pleasant surprise.  I was expecting a lot more persuasion on my part.  I know this sounds insufficient for what you just did, but thank you."

Krant spoke up, "No, John Crichton, thank you.  I have waited for a long time for someone to unify our groups but no one has ever been right for the job.  You were the first one who I thought might have an actual chance at succeeding."

John nodded his head in Krant's direction.  "Thanks for the confidence.  I appreciate what all of you have done, but I want to make something absolutely clear.  If you are agreeing to join the Rystalva, then you must accept me as Prime.  No one else.  That may be difficult for some of you to accept."

Again Krant spoke up for the group, "Not at all.  When I said I would join the Rystalva I also said that I would follow the Rystal.  You are the Rystal, John Crichton.  We have all been informed of your identity.  Some of us may not believe in the legend anymore, but we will follow you nonetheless."

John sighed in relief.  He had been expecting more resistance.  It was important that everyone was on the same page.  "Thank you again, Krant, for your understanding.  Your help, all of your help, will go a long way to making our attack on the armory a success."

John resumed his business-like tone as he continued.  "We must discuss some practical matters, however.  Having our forces spread all across the planet will not work for our current strategy.  I would appreciate it if you would all move your forces to here, in our main complex.  It's more than large enough to house all twelve of your groups' personnel and it is well defended and well hidden.  And we must discuss who's in charge.  I've already explained that I will be Prime, but the question of who would be Second is still unanswered.  Personally, I would prefer Toben to stay my Second but I think that it is only fair that I let you twelve choose who will be next in the line of ascension."

Krant, who had become the unofficial spokesperson for the twelve, spoke his opinion.  "I know Toben.  He is an honorable and capable warrior.  He would be satisfactory for your Second."

John looked at the other eleven just to make sure they agreed.  "All of you agree with Krant?"  John saw everyone voice their assent.  "Alright, then.  I would like to ask Krant to be the next in line.  And for him to be my liaison between the Rystalva and the newly joined groups"

Krant seemed somewhat taken aback by John's request.  "It would be my honor, John Crichton."

John clapped his hands together and stood up.  "Excellent!  I would really like to stay but I have some things to do that need my attention.  Toben will brief you on the armory mission.  Feel free to give him whatever ideas or views you might have, but remember that he is in charge."

John was beginning to walk out of the room, when he remembered a famous quote that he had heard his father's old army buddies say before.  John turned back around to face the still sitting twelve people, "Before I go I wanted to tell you something a famous warrior on my planet named Napoleon once said.  'Fortune favors the bold' It's about time we proved him right."

The Peacekeeper armory in the capital city of Rotar was, for lack of a better word, a fortress.  Consisting of only one structure, the armory was very large.  Very similar to some of the large warehouses back on Earth, it was about half a metra across and a quarter of a metra long.  The armory contained more than half of the Peacekeepers' arsenal on the planet.

Because of its high profile status and because of the amount of activity that it generated, the Peacekeepers had built the armory on the outskirts of the city so as to have lots of open ground.  There was a large landing area for ships off to the side of the structure, and a high concrete wall surrounded the entire complex.  There was at least fifty yards of open space between the walls and the structure, so that the Peacekeepers could have lots of open space.

From what they had learned, there were at least 200 Peacekeepers guarding the armory at all times.  Most of the Peacekeepers were in or around the complex.  Only about 30 actually patrolled along the walls.  Once John learned the number of guards, he had thought that attacking the armory would be relatively easy.  After all, they actually outnumbered the Peacekeepers at least three to one.  But then John had seen the layout of the armory and realized that the Peacekeepers had configured the armory so that they would only need a small amount of soldiers to stop a much larger force. 

It had taken Toben, Juli, Krant, and the other eleven former Primes a long time to come up with a practical and realistic strategy for attacking the armory.  They had finally decided that using only subtlety and subterfuge would not work, and instead had opted for quick, brute, and overwhelming force for overtaking the armory.

It was a good thing that they were going to rob the armory as well as destroy it, because it was going to take the majority of their explosives to successfully complete their mission.  They had needed a way to breach the large walls of the complex, and John had come up with an idea.  They would capture one of the Peacekeeper ground cars that they used to get around the planet, fill it with a lot of explosives, park it in front of one of the walls, and then blow it up.  A nice, old-fashioned car bomb.

Of course, once the wall blew, the Peacekeepers would flood that area with troops, so the explosion was actually only a diversion.  While the Peacekeepers were concentrating on the first explosion, John would use his staff (John had almost forgotten about the R'yclava in planning the assault) to blow a hole in the wall on the opposite side of the complex and then the majority of the raiders would go through.  

How they were going to transport their newly acquired weapons had been a problem, but then Krant had informed them that he had three captured Peacekeeper Marauders that could be used to transport the stolen weapons.  The three Marauders would land in the armory a few arns before the attack, so as not to raise suspicions.  Krant had assured John that his Marauders had the proper codes and identification transponders so as not to be shot down or boarded.  Once the attack started, the crews of the three Marauders would enter the complex; steal as many weapons as they could, and then set an explosive that would blow the entire armory.  In a way, everything was a diversion for the real goal of the attack, the stealing of the Peacekeeper weapons.

John had wanted to make sure that every facet of the plan was planned perfectly, but he knew that wasn't possible.  As John had seen first hand with many of his own plans when he had still been on board Moya, very few plans actually followed their initial designs after first contact with the enemy.  John just hoped everything stayed relatively close to the plan.  He did not want a slaughter on his hands.

Wanting to make sure that everything followed the plan was one of the reasons why he was personally leading the mission.  The other reason was because John didn't think it was right to ask the other people to do something he wasn't willing to do himself.  Plus it garnered him respect amongst the other Primes, something he badly needed if he was going to maintain his authority over them.  Of course, trying to convince Juli that he needed to go had caused him to draw up every ounce of patience that he had.

It had taken every waking moment spent between the conference and the actual assault trying to persuade Juli to back off.  Once it had gotten close to time for the attack and Juli had still not listened, John had begun to lose it.  He had finally told her off, saying that because he was the boss he could do whatever he wanted.  Juli had just laughed in his face.  Which had pissed John off even more.  He finally told her that he would find some way, anyway, to be there and that he would do it without her.  So if she was really worried about his safety then she should just let him go, but make sure that she went with him.  Juli had caved and let him go, but she refused to leave his side for even one microt.

Which brought him to where he was now, standing in a forest with around 300 Rystalva fighters, waiting for the signal that would mean it was time for him to attack.  Once the car bomb went off, John and his fellow fighters, would leave the forest, make there way to the armory, and then John would blow the wall.  Once he did that, all the fighters would storm the complex and try to catch the Peacekeepers from behind.  Hoping to buy the Marauder teams as much time as possible.  Which John knew wasn't much.  Once the Peacekeepers realized they were under attack, they would call for reinforcements from the Ryota Mountain Garrison, and the reinforcements would arrive in a little under a half an arn.  Everyone from the Rystalva had to be gone by then.

John was starting to get antsy; he just wanted it to start soon so he could get it over with.

Grun Fraty did not consider himself to be a brave man.  In fact, no one else considered him to be brave either.  If you were to ask what few friends he had about him, they would say that he was quiet, intelligent, unassuming, and unadventurous.  In short, he was boring and he knew it.  So it would be surprising to those few friends if they learned that at the moment he was currently driving a ground car loaded with enough explosives to blow up a small mountain, towards a Peacekeeper armory.

What those few friends didn't know was that two cycles ago, Grun's mate had been captured by the Peacekeepers and then executed, all because she had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  There had been a resistance attack that killed three Peacekeepers, and because she barely resembled one of the resistance fighters responsible for the attack, the Peacekeepers had arrested her.  They had interrogated her, wanting information on the location of the group responsible, but because she didn't know anything, they had killed her.

One would think that Grun would have blamed the resistance for the death of his mate, but he was too smart for that.  He knew who was responsible, and he swore that somehow he would get revenge on the Peacekeepers.  That was why he had volunteered to drive the car.  He had previous experience driving Peacekeeper ground cars and dealing with Peacekeepers because before he joined the Rystalva he had been a mechanic that worked for the Peacekeepers on their ground cars.  He would finally get the revenge that he had been waiting two cycles to get.

He could see the armory off in the distance as he rapidly approached it.  He was wearing the uniform of a Peacekeeper lieutenant, taken from the previous owner of the ground car, and he was going to have to bluff his way into the complex.  That was something that he wasn't looking forward to, but if it was the only way he could succeed then he would do it.  

His orders had been simple.  Get inside the complex by any means necessary, park the car next to one of the walls, get as far away as possible, and then by remote detonation, blow the car.  He had every intention of doing exactly that.  He didn't want to die, but he had accepted that if he couldn't get away, then he would blow the car anyway.  It would be his last act of defiance and revenge against the Peacekeepers.

Grun could see the entrance to the complex just ahead.  It was time he got into character.  He slowed his car down slowly so that it came to a complete stop in front of the guard that had come out to identify him.  The guard walked up to the driver's side and spoke in an official but bored sound of voice, "Name, rank, and identification."  The guard then stuck his hand out waiting for Grun to place his stolen ident chip in his hand.  Grun did, and the guard placed the chip in the handheld scanning device he held.  

Grun spoke as the guard checked the authenticity of the chip, "My name is Lieutenant Lan."

The guard, who was still scanning the chip, spoke up, "What is your business in the complex, Lieutenant."

Grun let some contempt enter his voice.  "My business is none of your concern, Officer."  Grun made sure that he emphasized the difference in their ranks.  He had to accurately portray a Peacekeeper officer, after all.

The guard shook his head in an apology, "Of course sir.  It's standard procedure for me to ask everyone what their business is in the complex.  I meant no offense.  However I must still ask that you tell me what you are doing here."  

Grun got angry, "I do not have to tell you anything, Officer.  Allow me to continue or I will report your insubordination to your superior."

The guard did not budge, although he sounded livelier than he had before.  "I must insist sir.  If you are unwilling to tell me, I will have to report **you** to my superior."

On the outside, Grun acted and looked like the consummate Peacekeeper officer.  But on the inside, he was panicky and was beginning to realize that he was out of his element.

Grun glared at the guard angrily, but thought it might be best to acquiesce to his demand.  "If you must know, Officer, I am transporting chakan oil and pulse rifles to the armory."  Which was actually true.  In the back of the car, there were barrels of chakan oil and a few pulse rifles.  There was also three barrels of highly volatile cesium fuel, something that Grun couldn't afford the guard seeing.

The guard spoke up in his maddening calm voice, "I will have to inspect your cargo, sir.  Standard procedure."

Grun was really beginning to panic now.  If the guard saw what he had in the back of his car, he would be arrested and he would fail.  They had loaded the car in such a way to pass only a cursory inspection, the cesium barrels were too large to do otherwise.  If a detailed inspection were to take place, then the guard would see the rather large cesium barrels and know that something was not right.  So Grun did the only thing that he could think of to stop the guard.  Before the guard moved out of range of Grun's open window, he pulled out his pulse pistol and shot the guard twice in the chest.  The look of surprise on the guard's face was almost comical.  The guard collapsed to the ground, dead.

Grun then started up his car and drove as fast as he could through the entrance of the complex.  He could see other Peacekeepers coming after him, and some of the guards on the walls were beginning to shoot at him.  

It hit Grun about halfway to his target that he was going to die.  There was no way that he would be able to get away in time.  Either the Peacekeepers would kill him, or the blast would.  Grun was resigned to his fate, but he was resolved to complete his mission.

It took Grun thirty microts to reach his target wall.  Once he got to the wall he slowed the car down, and jumped out.  He climbed behind the car, using it for cover, and began shooting at the Peacekeepers that were coming after him.  By now, Grun could see that there were at least 20 Peacekeepers advancing on him.  Which is exactly what he wanted.  He wanted to take as many as he could with him.  He was going to die, but so were they.

Grun saw one Peacekeeper get too close and he shot him in the leg.  Grun shot at another Peacekeeper and hit him in the chest.  There were so many Peacekeepers, and they were so close, that Grun couldn't help but to hit them.

He was about to shoot another Peacekeeper who had got too close, when a Peacekeeper suddenly appeared from behind him.  The Peacekeeper had hurried to get his shot off, so his shot went wild, only hitting Grun in his leg.  Grun fell to the ground in pain, but had the presence of mind to shoot the Peacekeeper in the face.  The Peacekeeper screamed and fell to the ground.  Grun felt another blast hit him in the chest as he turned to kill another Peacekeeper that had come from around the car.

Grun knew that the second shot had mortally wounded him.  He was having difficulty breathing and he was coughing up blood.  He began firing wildly at the Peacekeepers as he reached for the detonator that he held in his pocket.  He pulled it out just as two Peacekeepers came around the back of the car.  He smiled at the Peacekeepers and pressed the button.

The explosion was almost instantaneous.  It instantly vaporized everything in its direct vicinity and caused the wall next to it to explode outward showering the ground with flying debris.  The wall collapsed almost a quarter of a metra along its length.  Every Peacekeeper that had been near the explosion was killed.  The explosion was so huge that the closest corner of the armory structure imploded inward, killing five Peacekeepers that had been rushing out to see what was going on.  The remaining Peacekeepers rushed toward the site of the explosion, expecting an attack to be coming from the newly created hole.  

John Crichton and the Rystalva had just gotten the diversion of a lifetime.

John heard and saw the explosion of the car, and immediately sprung into action.  Not a microt could be wasted.  He moved out of the forest at a dead run, and got as close as he dared to the wall.  He looked behind him to see that Juli was right next to him, as were the majority of the soldiers.  

John brought the R'yclava out of his pocket, extended it, turned it so that the end that fired was facing the wall, and pressed the symbols that he remembered caused the staff to fire.  The end of the staff glowed white, just like it had before, and then the pulse came out.  Also like before John flew back from the recoil, but luckily there were people behind him to stop him from flying too far.

The pulse hit the wall, shattered it, and then continued on flying all the way across the complex and going through the opposite wall.  There was no mountain to stop the pulse this time.  John looked in awe at the staff as he saw the destruction the staff had caused.  The power of the staff was truly incredible.

The pulse had caused almost as much damage to the wall as the car bomb had.  Except this time the wall fell inward instead of outward.  Spraying debris all over the rear of the structure. 

Shaking off his shock, John started rushing toward the hole he created.  Everyone was following him.  As he was running, John deactivated the staff and placed it back in his pocket.  It was a great weapon for hand-to-hand fighting, but John preferred to stay as far away from his opponents as possible.  Plus he wasn't nearly as skilled or as strong as Kwami had been in using the staff.  Besides, as much as he liked the staff, he liked Wynonna better.  At least she had never let him down.

Because he was in front, John reached the hole first.  He was about to rush through, but he felt a hand grab his arm and stop him.  He looked back angrily, and saw Juli looking at him just as angry.  Juli shouted at him, "What the frell are you doing?  You don't go in first.  That's a great way to get killed and you can't afford to be killed.  Let other, more experienced people go first."

Juli then motioned the other soldiers to go first, and as many as could fit through the hole began moving.  After about thirty or so went through, pulse fire could be heard and people began screaming.  The Peacekeepers had recovered faster than expected.

Juli waved her hand in the direction of the hole and began speaking again, "See?  If you had gone first that could be you dying.  You can't die John."

John was still very angry and he had to shout to be heard over the noise of the battle.  "Why not?  I'm not any more valuable than they are.  One man's life is not worth more than another."

Juli let out a sigh of frustration, "You still don't understand, do you?  This is war John.  People die in war.  Soldiers die in war, not officers and not leaders.  There is a reason why there is a difference between the two.  By their definition, one is more valuable than the other.  That's just the way it is; that's the way it's always been, and that's the way it will always be.  You can't change that John, and you must accept that.  If there wasn't a difference, then everyone would be equal and there would be no need for officers and leaders."

She pointed her finger at the Rystalva soldiers going through the hole in the wall.  "You see those people.  They are only responsible for one thing: themselves.  But you, John, are responsible for not just yourself, but for everyone in the Rystalva, as well as the fate of the mission.  If you die, who will lead them?  If one of them dies, it is unfortunate, but we would survive.  If you die, or if Toben dies, or if any of the other Primes die, then that would be disastrous.  There is a reason why you are the leader."

Juli then softened her tone as she looked into John's eyes and saw the anger and torment there.  "I know you don't want to hear this John.  And I know that you don't believe it, but until you do, you will never be a good leader.  You must accept that your life has more value than theirs or else you will always be distracted and preoccupied worrying about yourself and not the important things that demand your attention.  It does not make you a coward and it does not make you weak.  The fact that you are even here at all proves that.  And I will not stop you from fighting, but I will not let you throw your life needlessly away like you were about to do."

John still did not agree with her, but he knew that it was futile to argue with her.  He knew that if she was determined to stop him, there was nothing he could possibly do to change her mind.

After half of the fighters had made it through, John turned to Juli and asked sarcastically, "Can I go in now?  Or is it still too dangerous?"

Juli sighed when she heard John's tone.  He still didn't understand.  "Yes John, now would be ok.  But I will go first and you will follow me wherever I go."

Juli then drew her pulse pistol and began climbing over the fallen wall.  John was right on her heels.

John looked over his shoulder as he ducked down behind a large piece of the armory's structure that had broken off when a grenade went off, and saw that Juli and her little band of followers were right behind him.  There were six of them, four Sebaceans, including Juli, and two Rotarians, that made up John's, for lack of a better word, bodyguards.

John hated having bodyguards.  He thought the very idea was ludicrous.  But Juli had insisted that he be protected, especially if he insisted in joining in the fighting.  John had never needed bodyguards before, to be fair he hadn't exactly been an expert at taking care of himself in a fight, but for the most part he had held his own.  John had thought that Aeryn was overprotective, but Juli was insane in her need to surround John in bubble wrap.

John knew that it was pointless to argue with Juli.  Much like Aeryn, she was almost impossible to deal with and was incredibly stubborn.  John knew that he would lose any argument with her.  So he just went with the flow, and tried to not let Juli get to him.

Besides, John had sort of started to like the six people that followed him around.  He had started calling them the Magnificent Seven.  All they needed were some cowboy hats, a few six-shooters, and a couple of horses and they could ride across the countryside ridding it from the lawless Peacekeepers.  John's face suddenly broke into a wide grin at the visual image of a Rotarian in a cowboy hat.

That was probably not the best thing he could have done during the middle of a firefight.  John saw Juli looking at him like he was crazy.  "What are you smiling for?  Do you like getting shot at?"

John quickly sobered, but not without letting out a quick laugh.  "You wouldn't understand.  It's not important, don't worry about it."

Juli just shook her head at John's strangeness.  She was used to it by now.  Juli refocused on the battle raging around them.

The battle had gone well in the beginning.  They had caught the Peacekeepers completely by surprise.  The car bomb explosion had taken out at least twenty Peacekeepers, and Juli knew that at least thirty more had died when the Rystalva stormed the complex.  That might have been enough to defeat most normal enemies, losing a quarter of your force, but they were fighting against the Peacekeepers and they were far from normal.

About halfway through the battle the Peacekeepers had somehow managed to turn the initiative in their favor.  Despite being outnumbered at least three to one, the Peacekeepers were actually starting to win.  They had better weapons, more training and battle experience, and despite being caught by surprise, they knew the ground they were fighting on and had held their positions.

Which brought them to the situation they were in now.  John, Juli, the six bodyguards, and about eight other fighters were crouched behind some fallen debris, trying to take cover from the withering pulse fire coming from the Peacekeeper position in front of them.  There were eleven Peacekeepers guarding a doorway into the armory.  The Rystalva needed that doorway so that they could get access to the armory and steal the weapons and supplies inside.

The Peacekeepers were delaying their timetable.  By John's count they only had about ten more minutes before Peacekeeper reinforcements arrived.  Everyone had to be gone by then.

They needed to get rid of those Peacekeepers as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, they had tried everything and nothing had worked.  They had tried shooting them out, using grenades to try and blow them out, and they had even tried charging the position which had proved disastrous as evidenced by the six resistance fighters' dead bodies lying on the ground in between the two sides.  They needed those weapons; they were the biggest reason why they were here to begin with.

John knew that he could probably take them out with his staff, but he would have to expose himself to fire to do it.  John was also hesitant that the blast might do more harm than good.  He had no doubt that it would take out the Peacekeeper defenders, but he remembered what one pulse had done to the walls of the complex.  He might destroy the building, or even worse, cause the munitions inside the armory to blow prematurely.

It was a risk that he was going to have to take.  There just wasn't enough time to stall any longer.  He would just have to make sure he shot the pulse just right.  

John turned to Juli and tried to talk with as much authority as he could.  "Don't argue with me.  Not about this.  We don't have enough time.  I have a plan to take out those Peacekeepers.  I will use my staff to blow their position, and I want everyone to cover me as I do it."

Juli was about to argue with John, but she saw something in his eyes that made her hesitate.  She wanted, no, she needed to protect him, but she also knew that he needed to do this.  She didn't want to keep him from doing something so important to him.  "Fine, John.  But one shot, no more.  I don't want you exposing yourself anymore than necessary.  I will tell everyone else of your plan."

John waited for Juli to spread the word, and he became lost in his own thoughts.  He was afraid.  Not of being shot, or even, of being killed.  He had been shot at tons of times and he was used to exposing himself to extreme danger during one of his crazy plans.  No he was afraid of something else, something he couldn't identify.  He almost felt like he was on the cusp of something.  Like if he succeeded at what he was about to do, his fate would be sealed for the rest of his life.

If he succeeded, he would be tied to the Rystalva indefinitely.  They would get the weapons they needed to fight a war with the Peacekeepers.  A war he would have to lead, all because he had made a promise.  He was starting to realize how weighty a decision he had made.  It was almost funny that he realized that now, of all the times he could have had an epiphany it was almost fitting that he had one during a battle.  Fighting for his life had become second nature to him.

John felt a tap on his shoulder and Juli nodded her head at him.  John got the silent message: everyone was ready to go.  John started taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself, as he took the staff out of his pocket and extended it.  As soon as he extended the R'yclava, Juli shouted to start firing and thirteen pulse weapons opened fire on the Peacekeeper position.

John leapt up, exposing the upper part of his body, and brought the staff up into firing position.  He scanned the doorway, trying to ignore the pulse blasts coming increasingly closer to him.  He saw the Peacekeepers in the doorway, and he realized that any shot fired at them would most likely enter the armory as well.  That couldn't happen.  He needed to find a better target.  He scanned the doorway.  _Maybe I could collapse the doorway on them._  

John saw that part of the doorway was weakened from multiple grenade explosions and from pulse weapon fire.  _That looks like a good place._  John was about to fire at the weakened part of the doorway, when he heard a voice shout not to.  _Huh?_  _Where the hell did that come from?_

"If you fire there, you will collapse the entire front of the structure.  You will never be able to get inside then," the voice said.

John thought the voice sounded familiar.  _It almost sounds like…Harvey.  But, I thought Jack said he was gone._

John heard the voice speak again, "No, John.  The alien you called Jack said that he removed most of me, but that he could not get all of me.  There is still a part of me inside you."

"Why is this the first time that I've heard you since then?"

Harvey answered, "I have found that because of my weakened influence, I can only make my presence known to you during times of great stress.  Since getting shot at constitutes great stress for you, I was able to come to the forefront of your mind.  It was a good thing that I did.  You were about to ruin any chance at ever getting inside that building."

John responded to the Harvey in his mind incredulously, "Since when do you care about the Rystalva?"

Harvey looked at John with a pained look on his face.  "I do not, but you do.  Because you have foolishly decided to risk your life, and because of our association, my life as well, I have decided to minimize whatever risk I can to you.  And since I know that you will do whatever necessary to get inside that building, I have decided to help you to keep you from doing anything unnecessary."

Harvey stopped talking and then studied the doorway.  He pointed at a part of the doorway that seemed to be structurally intact.  "There, shoot there.  You will collapse the doorway, but cause only superficial damage to the rest of the structure."

John did not look very confident.  "Are you sure?  That spot looks like the shot will go into the armory.  How do you know?"

Harvey sighed, "I thought by now that we could trust each other, John.  You forget that I have the memories of Scorpius in my mind, and Scorpius was well informed of many Peacekeeper secrets and procedures.  Part of his memories contains knowledge of Peacekeeper structures. Trust me when I say that that spot is the best spot for you to fire."

John really had no choice.  He had to trust Harvey.  John found himself back in complete control of his mind and still standing up, facing the Peacekeepers.  Amazingly, he had not been hit yet.  

John found the spot on the doorway that Harvey had singled out, and pressed the symbols on the R'yclava to fire.  The staff glowed, and then fired its pulse, sending John flying back in the process.  It was a good thing too, because two pulse blasts flew through the air where he had just been standing.

John was getting back on his feet when he realized that there was no more fire coming from the armory and that there had not been any explosions.  John cautiously looked over the debris he had been using for cover and saw the damage his staff had caused.

Harvey had been right.  The doorway had collapsed on top of the eleven Peacekeepers, crushing them all, but the front of the building was still intact.  In fact, there was actually a nice, neat hole for the Marauder crews to go through when they stole the weapons.  John sent a silent thanks to Harvey, before turning to Juli who was also staring at the building.  "Get those crews in there right away, we don't have any time to waste.  Tell them they only have about 700 microts before they have to leave.  And begin the retreat.  I want everyone gone by the time the crews are done.  I will take the others and make sure the area is secure."

Juli looked at him indecisively.  She did not want to leave him.  John understood her reluctance, but he needed her to take charge of the retrieval.  "Go!  Now!  I need someone I trust to get the job done, and that's you.  Move your ass, now!"

Without conscious thought, Juli snapped to attention and gave John a sharp salute, "Yes, sir!"  Juli then turned around, and headed off in the direction of the Marauders.

John was a little surprised by Juli's response.  _So that's how you get her to do what you want, yell at her.  I'll file that away; it could be very valuable information for dealing with her later._

John motioned for the remaining 14 fighters to follow him as he patrolled the area looking for any more Peacekeepers.  

John took a deep breath of the mountain air.  He let it go slowly; not wanting to lose the feeling the refreshing breath gave him.  This was his favorite thing to do, take a walk in the mountains.  Since he no longer had a terrace to go to, he had to make do with what he had, and the mountains were the closest he had been to the stars in monens.  

When John needed to think, or relax, he would come here.  Here were the mountains surrounding the Rystalva's main base.  John could walk for arns in the mountains, trying to make sense of his own thoughts.  Like he was doing now.

It had been only four arns since the Rystalva's successful attack on the Peacekeeper armory in Rotar, and John was already being bombarded by confusing and difficult thoughts about the whole thing.  He remembered right before he had fired his staff at the Peacekeepers guarding the doorway that led to the armory, he had felt a feeling of intense fear.  He hadn't been able to analyze that fear then, but he was trying to do so now.  Hence his walk in the mountains, alone.

He had to be alone, it was the only way he could devote his thoughts completely to what was going on inside his mind.  Juli hated it of course, but John knew that she realized that these walks meant so much to him and that he needed them, so she let him go.  But not without some precautions, like being required to report in to her every arn.

John's thoughts drifted off Juli and back to why he was here.  John hated fear.  Most people do, he knew that.  But for him, it was different.  This wasn't the kind of fear he was used to dealing with.  He was used to fearing for his life, he was used to fearing for the lives of his friends, and to some extent he was even used to the fear of dealing with Scorpius.  The fear he was feeling now was a lot different, though.

The fear he was feeling had little to do with his life ending, in fact it had to do with the opposite.  He was afraid of living, of living a life that wasn't his own.  Since he had come to the planet of Rotar he had been treated like a savior, a leader promised to them by an ancient alien race.  He had no control over the events his life led.  And he knew that when he fired that shot into that doorway he had sealed his fate.  He knew that he was linked to the people on Rotar now, that he could never leave them because he had become responsible for them.  He had started a war with the Peacekeepers and he had to finish it.  John had been taught by his father to never start a fight, but to always finish one.

John had to deal with his fear before it consumed him.  He couldn't let it distract him.  He had to accept the fact that his life was no longer his own and that he was the Rystal.  If he embraced his role, it might make life a lot easier.  John shook his head.  Aeryn was right, he did think too much.

  John reached for his comm to check in with Juli when he saw some rocks falling in front of him.  _That's odd, better be careful.  It could be a rockslide._  John looked up to see where the fallen rocks had come from and saw something he was not expecting to see.

Standing on a ledge, not more than ten feet in front of him were two Sebaceans dressed in Peacekeeper uniforms.  _Ah, frell!  I didn't think I was that distracted that I wouldn't notice two people sneaking up on me._  John immediately reached for Wynonna, but he wasn't fast enough.  The two Peacekeepers were already ahead of him.

One of them spoke up, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."  John's hand backed off.  The PK started speaking again, "Smart move.  Now slowly take the pulse pistol and throw it over here.  Slowly, now."

John took Wynonna out of her holster and through it at the two Peacekeepers.  He really hated having to always giver her up.  He tried to talk as friendly and as calmly as he could, while his mind was going crazy trying to come up with ideas on how to get out of his current predicament.  "So, fellas, how did you find me?"

The same PK spoke up again, "Quiet!  Take your comm off and throw it here as well.  Don't try anything stupid, Crichton."

_Okay, so they know who you are.  Figures.  Everybody knows who you are._  John took his comm off and threw it at the two Peacekeepers.  "You gonna shoot me now, or later?  Or maybe even better, you gonna take me to Scorpy?  God I miss that bastard."

"No, Crichton, we are not going to shoot you and we are not taking you to see Scorpius.  That is not our mission."

John was confused.  They weren't going to kill him or turn him into Scorpius.  "What the frell is your mission then?"

"We're taking you to meet someone who is very interested in meeting you.  You have quite a reputation John Crichton."

John laughed humorlessly.  "Yep, that's me.  Mr. Popular.  So who's the head honcho you taking me to see this time?"

The Peacekeeper smiled an enigmatic smile, and then nodded his head.  Without warning, another Peacekeeper appeared behind John and struck him across the back of his head with a pulse pistol.

John slumped down to the ground, quickly losing consciousness.  John's last thought before the darkness of his unconscious mind claimed him, was that Juli was definitely never going to let him go anywhere on his own ever again.

Side Note: The next chapter will find John discovering who his captor is.  The war will reach full swing, and John may meet a new ally.


	9. Saluting the Flag

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Oh, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, this takes place in an alternate timeline than Season 3.  I have no intention of dealing with any of the issues that occurred during that time.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  Oh, and I have things planned for Juli that may or may not change people's opinion of her.

**Third Author's Note:** I am finally back on track with how I want my story to be.  It will not be till Chapter 10 when we meet up with Moya and the others again. 

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 9: Saluting the Flag

A few arns after the events in _No, That's MY Boomstick!_ -

            John awoke groggily.  He was temporarily confused.  He didn't remember making it back to his quarters in the base, so why was he in bed?  It then came all rushing back to him as he sat up on the bed he was laying on.  He remembered taking a walk and then meeting two Peacekeepers.  He remembered being knocked unconscious from behind.  Everything after that he obviously had no memory of.

            He got off the bed and searched the room he was in.  The room was dark and sparse.  It had only the bed in it.  It was obviously a cell of some kind.  John then made his way toward the door.  The door was locked, as he expected it to be, and was made of some very solid metal.

            John began banging on the door and started yelling, "Hey, anyone out there?  Let me out of here!"

            John continued banging and yelling for a few microts more, and then quit after not getting any kind of response.  John then began examining the room again.  The room had smooth walls, made out of the same material as the door.  Obviously he wasn't go to escape through one of the walls.  He then began looking around the room for a possible weapon.  Since the only piece of furniture in the room was the cot and since it was bolted to the floor, John didn't have any luck.

            There was nothing in the room he could use as a weapon, except maybe…the sheets!  He could tear the sheet into some kind of rope and maybe use it to strangle somebody or something.  John knew he was reaching, but it was the only thing he could think of.  He wasn't about to sit idly by in some Peacekeeper prison.

            John began tearing the sheets into long strips, and then tying them together.  _If I can disable a guard and take his weapon, I could get out of here._  

            He had just finished making his rope when he heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall towards his door.  John hurriedly scurried to the other side of the door.  He would be behind the door when it opened and then he could grab whoever came through from behind.

            John slowed his breathing and tried to calm himself.  The last thing he wanted was for whoever came through the door to know where he was because he was breathing too hard.  John heard a key being inserted into the door and then the door swung open.

            A Sebacean male entered, speaking as he did.  "Alright, Crichton, I'm here to take you to see the Admiral."

            It was the same Peacekeeper that had captured him in the mountains.  The man entered, light spilling into the dark cell from the open doorway.  "Crichton?  Crichton?  Where the frell are you?"  When the man got no response, he took his pulse pistol out its holster.

            John waited until he moved away from the door into open space before lunging forward.  John wrapped his hybrid rope around the man's throat and pulled back.  The man let out a strangled 'oomph' when John pulled him into the shadows behind the door.  The man tried to turn his pistol around so that he could fire at John, but John chopped down on his extended arm causing him to drop the weapon.  John then tightened his grip on the rope.  John felt the man go limp, losing unconscious from lack of air.  John stopped choking, he had no desire to kill him, and he just wanted him out of the way.

            John picked up the man's pulse pistol.  It wasn't Wynonna, but it would have to do.  John pulled the unconscious man behind the door, hiding him from view.  John had thought that he had heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall, but when he cautiously looked out the open doorway he saw no one.  John just shook his head.  _Must be hearing things_.

            John started walking down the hall as quietly as he could.  While he did he realized a few things.  He realized that he wasn't in a prison, but had been in some kind of crew quarters.  Secondly, he realized, from the hum he was hearing, he was on a ship.  Even though he had been living planet side for more than two monens, he was still so used to the sounds a ship made that he almost didn't notice it.  Unfortunately, he couldn't tell if the ship was moving or not.  As much as he hated what he had to do on Rotar, he didn't want to abandon them.

            He had made it all the way toward the end of the hall, when he came to a T-junction.  He had to make a decision.  Right or left?  He didn't know what kind of ship he was on, or where he even was on the ship, so he had no idea which direction would lead him to freedom.  After brief consideration, he decided to go right.  It was a bad decision.

            As soon as he walked five steps down the right hallway he came face to face with the person he thought he had heard walking down the hall earlier.  It was the other Peacekeeper from the mountains, the one who never talked.  

            Both men were so surprised at seeing each other that it took them a while before they reacted to each other.  Because John already had his pulse pistol out, he had a distinct advantage over the other man.  Unfortunately, he never got to exploit that advantage.  Seeing that he would never get his own pistol out in time, the Peacekeeper lunged at John and tackled him sending them both to the ground.  The Peacekeeper grabbed John's arm when he tried to bring the pistol around to fire and they began wrestling for control of the gun.

            John brought his other hand up and punched the other man in the face repeatedly, but the other man still held on to his gun.  John then brought his knee up and nailed the guy in his groin, making him double up in intense pain.  John grimaced along with him.  He hated fighting dirty, but when his life was on the line, everything was fair game.  The man finally let go of John's arm and moved into a fetal position.  John looked at him with pity before hitting him over the head with his pulse pistol, knocking him unconscious.

            John quickly grabbed the man and dragged him back to his still open cell.  He took the man's pulse pistol, his comm, and then left him in the cell with the other man.  John used the ident chip that he had taken from the first man to lock the two Peacekeepers in his cell before moving back to the end of the hallway.  He decided to go left this time.

            Admiral Ev Bach smiled at his Executive Officer, Captain Lorana Verity, as he watched John Crichton over the security monitors in his office, quickly and efficiently disable two of his most experienced and well trained officers.  "He is quite capable, is he not?"  The admiral questioned the captain.

            The captain, still staring at the monitors, responded, "Very capable, sir."

            The admiral continued, "Not to mention imaginative.  Using the linens on the bed as a weapon was quite ingenious.  No Peacekeeper would have ever thought to do that.  We will have to make sure that all linens are removed from prisoners' cells from now on."

            The captain stopped staring at the monitors long enough to face the admiral as she spoke, "Of course, sir.  I will see to it."

            The admiral, ignoring the captain, continued talking about the wonders of John Crichton.  "I am quite surprised, pleased, but surprised that he did not kill Vorel and Graf.  He only disabled them.  Such compassion is rarely seen in a Peacekeeper."

            The captain decided to point out the obvious, "He is not a Peacekeeper, sir."

            The admiral smiled indulgently at his captain.  "I know that he is not a Peacekeeper.  If he were, I would not have gone to all the trouble that I have gone through to bring him here."

            The admiral stopped talking and studied John's image on the monitor in front of him.  The human was currently making his way to the command carrier's hangar bay.  Whether by chance or design, the human had found the correct path to freedom and that was something the admiral could not allow.  The admiral was thoroughly impressed that the human had not encountered very many people.  He seemed to instinctively avoid places where ship's personnel congregated.  Those he did encounter he was able to deceive into thinking that he was one of them.  He had let this test go far enough.

            The admiral finally stopped looking at the monitors and turned to fully face his captain.  "Wake Vorel and Graf and make sure that they are appropriately punished for their failure."

            The captain stood at attention as she received her orders.  "Of course sir.  What did you have in mind?"

            The admiral waved his hand distractedly, "I'm sure that whatever you come up with will be quite adequate, captain."

            The admiral turned back to the monitor and pressed a button that activated the ship's comm system in that part of the ship.  "That is quite enough, John Crichton.  There is no need to go any further.  I wish to meet you, face to face.  Please wait.  Someone will be along to escort you to my office.  Do not resist, I don't want to hurt you, but I can not allow you to leave."

            The admiral saw the human stop moving and look up at the ceiling.  Almost instantly he spotted the camera and looked right into it.  He saw the human smile up at the camera and then bring his pulse pistol up.  The last thing the admiral saw before the camera was destroyed by the pulse blast was the human making some kind of gesture with one of the fingers on his hand.

            John didn't know who the guy who had just talked to him was, but he must have been high on some really crazy stuff if he thought John was just going to surrender to the Peacekeepers.  After John had destroyed the camera, he started making his way to the end of the hallway.

            John knew he was close.  He knew that he was close to freedom.  After the incident with the two guards, and he had started randomly choosing hallways to walk down, Harvey had finally gotten fed up and made his presence known.  Now Harvey was guiding him through the labyrinth of the command carrier's hallways.  Harvey had informed John, after careful study of John's surroundings, that he was aboard a command carrier and that he was taking him to the hangar bay.

            Once again, Harvey was responsible for saving John's life.  Not only had Harvey told him how to get to the hangar bay, but he also knew how to avoid all the ship's personnel.  When John did encounter someone from the crew, Harvey provided him with the right things to say to make the person think he was part of the crew as well.  John hated having to depend on Harvey like he was, but it was the only way he was going to get away alive.

            John placed his stolen ident chip in the locking mechanism of the door and opened it.  He stepped through the door and found himself in the massive hangar bay of the command carrier.  John mouth dropped open slightly in awe.  He had thought that the docking bay in Moya was huge, but it was nothing compared to the sheer size of the hangar bay in front of him.  There were hundreds of Prowlers, Marauders, and an assortment of other ships that John had never seen before strewn across the floor of the hangar bay.

            People were scurrying around from ship to ship, performing maintenance and other activities on the ships.  John had to hide behind some crates to avoid being seen by the techs.  He slowly moved from one piece of cover to another, trying to make as little sound as possible.  He had to get to a Prowler.  If he could make it to a Prowler, he could get off the ship and find out where he was.  He only hoped that he had not left Rotar.  If he had, then he would be royally screwed.

            John saw a Prowler that was partially separated from the rest, alone next to a bunch of what looked like cesium fuel barrels.  _Perfect!  I can get to that one without being seen._  John started making his way toward the Prowler.  When he was about halfway there he noticed a slight problem.  There was a tech performing maintenance on the Prowler.  His body had been hidden by the Prowler's wing and John had not seen him.

            John would have to take the tech out, but he would have to do it without drawing attention to himself.  That meant his stolen pulse pistol was out of the question.  Any shot would be heard throughout the hangar.  He could use his makeshift rope again.  He could do the same thing to the tech that he had done to the Peacekeeper that had captured him.

John moved quietly toward the Prowler.  Luckily the tech had his head buried in the cockpit of the prowler and did not see John as he snuck up behind him.  John waited until the tech was standing upright before lunging forward and wrapping his rope around the guy's throat.  John pulled tight and waited for the tech to go limp.  When he did, John pulled the tech behind the barrels.  John hoped no one would spot the missing tech until he was gone.

John started climbing into the Prowler when he heard a voice yell at him from behind, "Stop right there Crichton!  I will shoot you if you try to get into that Prowler."

John slowly got out of the Prowler and turned around.  Facing him was the Peacekeeper that had captured him on Rotar and that he had strangled in his cell.  John could see an angry red line across the man's throat where his rope had cut into his skin.  John winced when he saw that.  

The man started talking again as four soldiers ran up to him.  "The admiral is not pleased by your disobedience of his orders."

John just laughed as the soldiers took his two pistols.  "You tell your admiral that I don't give a flying frell about his damn orders.  I don't cooperate with Peacekeepers."

The man frowned at John's impertinence.  "You can tell the admiral yourself.  I'm taking you to meet him.  And I have orders that if you try anything I can do anything I want to you short of killing you.  So please refrain from causing trouble."

It took John and his five guards ten minutes to get to the admiral's office.  When they finally arrived, Vorel, he had told John his name as they were walking, stationed the four soldiers outside the door as he escorted John inside.  When John had heard that he was going to see an admiral, he had expected the admiral's office to be decorated much like Crais's quarters had been when he still commanded his own ship.  Rygel had told him about the multiple trophies and alien heads that had decorated his quarters.  So when John entered the admiral's office he was surprised by the sparseness of the room.

There were some tapestries adorning the walls of the room, the Peacekeeper symbol could be seen decorating the back wall, and there was a throne-like chair with what looked like video monitors surrounding the chair.  That was all John saw.  There weren't any trophies, or dead aliens, or really any other personal decoration touches.

John stopped studying the room and instead studied the two occupants in the room.  Sitting in the chair was an old man; dressed in a simple, black Peacekeeper uniform.  If John hadn't been told that the man in front of him was an admiral, he would have never guessed on his own.  He was a good looking man, or at least had been, with still gray hair and a gray goatee.  The most remarkable thing though, the feature that John couldn't help but notice, were his eyes.  His eyes were as gray as his hair, but unlike his body, they showed no sign of age.  They were clear, alert, and very intelligent.  John understood as soon as he looked into the man's eyes why he was an admiral.  This was a man that demanded your respect.

John then studied the other occupant in the room.  Standing next to the admiral, was a woman dressed in what John instantly recognized was a Captain's uniform.  The woman was close to Aeryn's age, which shocked John that a woman that young could already be a captain, and was strikingly beautiful.  She had long, flowing, black hair that she kept in a tight braid.  Her facial features had a certain patrician quality to them, almost like she was royalty or something.  But like the man she was standing next to, the most amazing feature were her eyes.  Her eyes were also completely gray, and instead of the admiral's contemplative look, her eyes had a piercing quality to them.  Like she could search your soul with her eyes.  John felt a shiver run down his back.  He had never seen eyes so beautiful before.

Almost instantly John made the connection between the two.  It wasn't hard to do.  The eyes were a dead give away.  He decided to voice his newfound knowledge, "I gotta ask.  How did you pull it off?"  John directed his question at the man in front of him.

The admiral was confused; he had no idea what the human was talking about.  "What do you mean, John Crichton?"

John rolled his eyes.  "Come on, I want to know.  How did you manage to have your daughter be your captain?  I thought Peacekeepers weren't allowed to know who their children were?"

Both the admiral and the captain were visibly shocked, the admiral especially.  He had heard that Crichton was unusually intelligent for a primitive, but his comment had seriously reevaluated his opinion of the man.  It had taken the human less than thirty microts to make the connection between him and his captain.  Bach knew right then and there that he had made the right decision in bringing John Crichton aboard his ship.

The admiral wanted to know how Crichton had figured it out.  "How do you know that she is my daughter?"

John just shrugged his shoulders, "The eyes are a dead give away.  The odds of two completely unrelated people having the same exact color of eyes with the same look of intelligence, not to mention that you both look very similar, are too great to think otherwise.  I just put two and two together and assumed that she was your daughter.  Anyone could make the same connection if they looked hard enough."

The admiral smiled at John appreciatively, "They said that you were smart, but I had no idea how right they were until now.  As for how I have managed to raise my daughter, let's just say that a man of my status is allowed certain liberties and leave it at that."

John figured that that was the best he was going to get out of the man and decided to drop the question.  "So who are you and what do you want from me?" 

            The admiral spoke up, "I am Admiral Ev Bach and this is my daughter Captain Lorana Verity. And it is not a question of what you could do for me, but more like what I can do for you."

            John was more than a little surprised by the admiral's comment.  "Wait.  Could you repeat that again, because I could have sworn that you just said that you wanted to help me and I know that that can't be right?"  John then stuck one of his fingers in his ear, and began acting like he was trying to clean it out.

            Lorana, who had been so quiet and stoic since John had come in, started laughing at John's behavior.  John stopped what he was doing and stared at the captain.  John didn't think it was possible but she was actually more beautiful when she smiled.  He shook off his temporary distraction and refocused back on the admiral.  

            When the admiral spoke, he did so with sadness and regret in his voice.  "I understand your reluctance, Crichton.  I know of everything that you have been put through since you came through your wormhole and ended up in our part of the Universe.  I realize that you have only seen the dregs of the Peacekeeper fleet.  I don't really blame you for your hatred and distrust of us after everything Crais and that abomination Scorpius has put you through.  But you must realize that not all Peacekeepers are like that."

"There are still some of us that believe in the old ways.  That believes in actual justice, not righteous vengeance, and fairness.  Not all of us are as corrupt and contemptible as the Peacekeepers you have been exposed to.  You must understand, Crichton, that Peacekeepers used to be respected, honored, and loved.  We were feared, yes, but only by those who sought to break the law.  We used to protect the galaxy, but now we enslave it.  I want to bring back the old ways, John Crichton, and I want to help you do it."

John just stared at Bach like he had grown a second head.  "Uh?"

The admiral understood John's confusion.  "I know what you are doing down on the planet of Rotar.  I have known for some time, actually.  I know that in only a few short monens you have turned a group of bothersome resistance fighters, into a full-fledged rebellion against Peacekeeper rule.  Your daring attack on the Peacekeeper armory proves that you have become a force to be reckoned with."

"I know all this admiral.  I've been living it for the last two monens.  I don't need you to tell me, I understand."

The admiral leaned forward in his chair as he spoke more earnestly, "I don't think you do Crichton.  Before the armory attack, the rebellion on Rotar was of very little concern to High Command, but now that you have so thoroughly embarrassed the Peacekeepers by successfully destroying a target that was supposed to be impenetrable, you have grown in significant importance.  The Peacekeepers must destroy the rebellion on Rotar or risk it spreading to other planets in this sector.  As we speak, three Peacekeeper command carriers are en route to Rotar with over 100,000 troops.  When they get here, they will send down those troops and destroy your Rystalva as soon as possible."

John could not believe his ears.  _100,000 troops!  Christ!  I got to get down there and warn them_.  John urgently spoke to the admiral, "You say you want to help me, so help me!  Let me go so that I can warn my people and prepare for the attack."

Bach could see the urgency in John and he understood because he was feeling the same urgency in himself.  "I can't do that, Crichton.  Or I should say that I'm not supposed to do that.  I have orders directly from High Command to capture you and turn you over to them.  You are no longer wanted just by Scorpius, High Command wants you as well."

John let his shoulders slump in defeat and he hung his head.  "If you are going to turn me in, then what the hell is the point of all this?"

"I'm not going to turn you in John Crichton.  In fact I am going to do the opposite, I am going to let you go.  I don't want you and your rebellion to fail; I want you to win.  If you can actually defeat the Peacekeepers, then it might cause High Command to reevaluate how it conducts itself.  Besides, I like you and want to help you.  I want to bring back the way it used to be, and if that means that I must destroy the current version of the Peacekeepers to do it, then so be it."

John was speechless.  It took him a while to grasp what Bach was saying.  "Are you saying that you want to join the resistance?"

Bach smiled at John.  "Yes, Crichton, I do.  I wish to join you.  You tell me what you want me to do, and I will do it."

John just stared.  "I think you got that backwards, admiral.  Shouldn't it be me that is taking orders from you?"

"No.  You are the leader of the Rystalva.  The people on Rotar respect, love, and follow you because of who you are.  I do not think that they would be as willing to follow a Peacekeeper admiral, than they would to follow you.  I will not usurp your authority.  Besides, I have given orders to people all my life, it will be nice to actually take orders from someone else for a change."

John didn't know what to say.  To have a Peacekeeper admiral, with an entire command carrier, on his side could be a huge advantage.  They might actually stand a chance, especially with three regular Peacekeeper command carriers on the way.  John spoke up, "Everyone with you feels the same way you do?  I don't want to have to deal with someone who can't control his own people."

When Bach spoke, it was with steel in his voice.  "Do not worry about my crew.  They are loyal to me and will do what I tell them to do.  Many of them feel the same way I do."

John accepted what Bach said at face value, he had to.  "Alright.  I gotta ask, though, if you wanted to meet me why didn't you just pick up the phone and give me a call.  Why did you have to capture me?"

"I wasn't entirely sure if you were the kind of man that I needed.  If you weren't then I could turn you over to High Command and no one would wonder why I had you.  Since you were the kind of person that I was looking for, I wanted to meet you and I seriously doubt you would have agreed to meet with a Peacekeeper admiral just because he wanted to talk to you about changing sides.  I knew that you would need proof of my loyalties."

John understood.  "I understand, I do, but do you realize how much trouble you caused me?  I mean Juli must be going out of her mind by now.  She'll probably not even let me go to the bathroom without someone watching over me now that this has happened."

The admiral let out a surprisingly large laugh.  "I do understand, Crichton.  I have been told of how overprotective Juli Fallon is of you.  I am sorry, I did not realize how miserable my actions would make you feel."

"Wait!  How do you know about Juli?"

Bach smiled secretively at John.  "Please, isn't it obvious.  I have contacts inside your organization that have kept me apprized of the situation down on the planet.  How did you think I knew where to find you?  Your base is supposed to be a secret isn't it?"

John groaned at his own thick headedness.  He knew that he should have seen that coming.  "Right, sorry I asked."

"I think it is time we got you back down to the planet.  By now your organization will be searching everywhere for you and we must return you before they do something stupid that draws unwanted attention to them.  Vorel and Graf will take you back to the planet.  They will remain as your liaisons to me.  They will follow whatever orders you give to them."

John turned to the man next to him and began to apologize, "Uh…look I'm sorry about the whole strangling and knocking unconscious thing."

Vorel cut John off before he could say anything else, "Forget it.  I was actually quite impressed and I deserved what happened to me for being so easily fooled."

Bach spoke up one last time, "Any time you need anything, just ask.  Vorel will relay your request to me and I will make it happen.  Good luck."

John felt a lot better now that he had Wynonna back.  The comforting weight along his thigh calmed him.  He always felt so naked without her.  She was the only pulse pistol that could make him feel better; all the others just didn't quite do it.  He didn't know why he was so attached to her, but he was.

Of course the fact that he was back on Rotar and was walking through the mountains that he had explored so completely, might have had something to do with the fact that he was feeling better.  They had landed in a Marauder not too far from the base and had hidden it.  Vorel didn't want anyone else to know of its location.

They were only about a quarter of a metra from the base, so they should have been spotted by now.  John was expecting any moment for someone, probably Juli, to come rushing out to meet him.  John had learned from Vorel that he had been missing for only a day, but John knew that was far too long.  He knew that Juli was probably totally freaking.

John had made sure that Vorel and Graf gave him their weapons.  He knew that as worried as Juli would be, she would probably shoot anybody on sight that even looked the least bit threatening to John.

            Sure enough, after only a few microts, John saw a group of people rushing towards him.  It was Juli and the rest of the Magnificent Seven.  When Juli got close enough that John could see the expression on her face, he let out a groan.  She was pissed.  _I better remind the guys not to do anything_.

            John stopped, and so Vorel and Graf stopped as well.  "Remember what I told you.  I know her, so right now she is probably really pissed at you two.  I will do everything I can to make sure she goes easy on you, but I can't promise you anything.  Just don't make any threatening gestures."

            Both Vorel and Graf nodded their heads at John and then brought their hands up to their sides.  They stuck their hands out to show that they were empty and weren't going to do anything.

            Juli and the rest of John's bodyguards finally reached them, and they immediately sprung into action.  Without being told to, the two Rotarians grabbed Vorel and Graf and shoved them to the ground.  They then placed one of their feet on their backs to keep them from getting back up, while one of the Sebaceans searched their bodies for weapons.

            Juli was the only one not doing anything.  She was standing in front of John and just looking at him.  Without a warning, she lunged at John and wrapped him up in a big hug.  John quickly got over his surprise and hugged Juli back.  He could tell that she needed this, it was her way of making sure he was really there.

            While they were still hugging, Juli began babbling, "I am so happy that you are all right.  I-I-I thought that when you didn't check in something horrible had happened to you.  I've been looking for you, but I couldn't find you.  I tried, I really tried to find you, but I couldn't find you.  I'm so sorry."  Juli started crying.

            John was shocked.  He had never seen Juli cry before; she must be really shaken up.  He stopped hugging Juli and stepped back far enough so that he could look at her.  He sometimes forgot how young Juli was, that she was only a very young woman, and it took a situation like this to remind him.  She looked so childlike with tears running down her cheeks and her eyes so wide and pleading.

            John couldn't help but feel bad even though he had no control over what had happened.  He hated it when women he cared about started to cry because of him.  He had to reassure her that it wasn't her fault and that she couldn't have done anything.  "Hey, it's okay, Juli.  It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have done anything.  I don't blame you for not finding me.  You couldn't have found me, I wasn't even on the planet."

            Juli visibly calmed with John's words.  "It's just that I got so worried that I would never see you again.  And we really needed you.  The Peacekeepers have been very active the last day and we could have really used your leadership."

            John put his hands up in front of him.  "I know that you were worried, it's sweet.  But I had no control over what happened."

            Juli smiled at John, "I know it wasn't your fault, but if you had let me go with you this would have never happened.  But we won't get into that now, though we will talk about it."  Juli then sobered and looked at the two Peacekeepers who were still lying on the ground.  She walked over to them and then crouched down in front of them, looking them over.  "Believe me, John, it's taking all my self control not to kill these two.  They should die for taking you away from me-us when we needed you the most."

            John chose to ignore Juli's slip of the tongue.  "No Juli, you can't kill them.  I'll explain everything to you, but these two are friends.  Let them go."

            Juli stood up and looked at John like he was crazy but followed his order nonetheless.  With a gesture of her hand, the two Rotarians stepped off Vorel and Graf, and they slowly got to their feet.  They began dusting themselves off as they stood.

            Juli spoke to the two Rotarians, "We're going back to base and I want you to watch these two.  If they try anything, kill them."

            Juli then turned and walked back to John.  They began walking back to base.  "So, John, tell me everything.  I want to know what the frell happened."

            John smiled, the old Juli was back.  It was going to be a long hike back.


	10. And the Lord Said, "Let there be light.....

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Oh, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, this takes place in an alternate timeline than Season 3.  I have no intention of dealing with any of the issues that occurred during that time.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  Oh, and I have things planned for Juli that may or may not change people's opinion of her.

**Third Author's Note:** This chapter finds us back on Moya.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 10: And the Lord Said, "Let there be light…"

Takes place three weekens after _Saluting the Flag_-

            Aeryn couldn't sleep.  Before the incident with John on the planet of Rotar, not being able to sleep would have worried her.  Now it was a nightly event and she was used to it.  She didn't want to sleep anyways.  Sleep always brought the dreams, and she hated her dreams.

            So she did what she always did at night.  First, she would make a cursory inspection of the ship, looking for anything that needed maintenance.  Then, she would go to command and make sure nothing there needed her attention.  After that, she would visit Pilot in his den.  It had taken Pilot a while to open back up to her, but since it wasn't in Pilot's nature to hold a grudge, he and Aeryn had reached their previous level of friendship.  Pilot was the only one on board who was more than civil to her.  Finally, the last stop on her nightly patrol was John's quarters.

            She knew that she was torturing herself by going to his empty cell every night, but she had to do it.  She was afraid of forgetting John, of forgetting what he was like, so she visited his cell to make sure that she always remembered.  Every time she stepped inside his cell, she would be assaulted by memories of John and all the time that she had spent in there.  It would always bring a small smile to her face.

            She was just leaving John's quarters when she was overwhelmed by a sense of hunger.  That was another thing that she hadn't been doing lately: eating.  She knew that she had lost a lot of weight, but she just didn't have the drive to be in peak physical shape anymore.  Aeryn knew that she should eat more, especially if she ever intended to be strong enough to rescue John once they found him, so she made her way to the central chamber.

            It took her only a few microts to get to the central chamber.  She stepped into the room and saw that she wasn't alone.  There were two other people already there.  One was someone she shouldn't be surprised to see and the other was someone she didn't want to see.  She was about to turn around and walk away, when her stomach reminded her why she was there in the first place.

            Aeryn knew that she had to eat, so she gritted her teeth and walked in.  She could practically feel the glare boring into her from Chiana.  Aeryn had thought, more like hoped actually, that after three monens, Chiana would have stopped being so hostile to her.  She hadn't expected Chiana to forgive her, but she hadn't expected her anger to be as strong as it was.

            Aeryn tried to ignore Chiana as best she could as she walked to the refrigeration unit to find something to eat.  She saw some vegetables, fruits, and other assorted items, but decided to just eat some food cubes.  She piled a bunch on a tray and went to sit down next to Rygel who was currently gorging himself on a plate of Hynerian Marjoules that he had bought at the last commerce planet they had visited.

            She tried to eat as quietly and as quickly as she could so that she could get out of there before she had a confrontation with Chiana.  It seemed like every time they saw each other they ended up in an argument.

            It seemed like her plan was working and that Chiana had forgotten about her, until Rygel decided to draw attention back to her.  "So, Aeryn, how much longer until we reach the next planet on your list?"

            Aeryn sighed as she once again felt Chiana's gaze on her.  She lifted her head to look at Rygel as she answered him.  "Pilot says that it will be at least fourteen arns before we reach Yeti V.  Why?"

            Rygel stopped stuffing his face to answer her, "I would like to accompany you.  I think that you all could benefit from my negotiating skills in securing information about John's location."

            Aeryn looked at Rygel incredulously and with a little shock on her face.  "You want to help?  I thought you hated these trips that we made?  Weren't you the one that said we should stop looking?"

            Before Rygel could tell Aeryn how wrong she was and defend himself, Chiana beat him to it.  "Leave Rygel alone!  At least he cares.  That's more than could be said for you.  You just want to find John so that we will stop hating you."

            Aeryn tried to stop herself, she really did, but hearing someone say that she didn't care about John just made her so mad that she let herself be drawn into another fight with Chiana.  Aeryn wasn't exactly known for having infinite patience, especially where John was concerned.  "That's not true and you know it Chiana!  Can't you just let it go?  I know that I frelled up, but you don't need to remind me every time we see each other."

            Chiana just snorted derisively at Aeryn.  "I'll let it go when John is back on board Moya.  This isn't about you, it's about John.  All you ever do is complain about how I'm making you feel, well how do you think John is feeling right now?  That is if he's still alive!"

            Meanwhile, Rygel had been forgotten.  A fight that initially started out about him had eventually drifted to the topic that everyone already thought about every microt of every day.  Rygel just sighed.

            He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he liked Aeryn and he hated seeing her in the kind of condition she was in.  He respected her and seeing her looking so frail and a shell of her former self, made him sad.  It was one of the reasons why he wanted to find John.

            Out of everyone on board, Rygel liked John the best.  He still thought he was an ignorant and primitive human who would be much better off if he just listened to what Rygel told him to do.  But John was the only one on board that Rygel knew would never leave him behind or treated him fairly, and Rygel missed John's strange nicknames.  

            Besides, the sooner they got John back the faster the fighting between Aeryn and Chiana would stop.  He, like everyone else aboard Moya, was getting tired of the constant bickering between the two.  

            Rygel could see the war of words between the two escalating.  If it wasn't stopped, the verbal battle going on could turn into a physical one.  Rygel activated his comm and called D'argo, "D'argo?  Aeryn and Chiana are at it again.  This one looks bad.  You should get here before Aeryn kills Chiana."

            Rygel heard D'argo let out a long sigh.  "Alright, Rygel I'll be there as soon as I can.  Try to do what you can to stop them."

            Rygel cared about the two people in front of him, but he wasn't stupid and he wasn't one for suicide missions.  There was no way in hezmana he was going to get between the two of them when they were in the middle of a fight.  He would be the one who ended up getting hurt.

            So he just sat back in his thronesled and watched the two angry women warily.  Fortunately, it didn't take D'argo long to get to the central chamber.  He came rushing through the door.  Without speaking, he walked up to the two women, who were only denches away from each other, and stood between them.

            "That is enough!  Both of you stop!  How many times am I going to have to do this?"

            Aeryn and Chiana both moved away from each other and tried to calm themselves.  D'argo turned to Rygel, "Who started it this time?"

            Many weekens ago, during a rash of particularly nasty fights, D'argo had come up with a plan for discouraging the two women from fighting.  He had decided that whoever was responsible for starting the fight would have to do all the maintenance duties aboard Moya by themselves for two solar days.  His plan was partially successful.  The fights were cut in half, but they still happened quite frequently.

            Rygel answered D'argo, "It was Chiana, as usual."

            D'argo got a disappointed look on his face as he faced Chiana.  Chiana was defiant as her eyes blazed with anger.  "You know the rules Chiana.  You will begin doing whatever maintenance duties Pilot has for you immediately.  I sometimes wonder Chiana how serious you are about finding John."

            Chiana looked like she was going to begin protesting, when Pilot's voice came over the comm.  His voice was very excited, "I am receiving a transmission from Talyn!  He is nearby and Captain Crais wishes to speak with us.  Talyn says that he may have information about Commander Crichton's location."

            The mood in the room suddenly changed from one of anger to one of hope and excitement.  Aeryn immediately began running to the docking bay as she spoke to Pilot.  "Bring Crais aboard, Pilot!"

            When they had spent a monen of looking for John without success, they had ran into Talyn and Crais and had told them of their situation.  Crais had immediately promised to do all he could to help locate John, but no one aboard Moya really believed that he would find anything.

            Despite the many changes that had occurred in Crais, one thing that had stayed the same was his dislike of John Crichton.  Aeryn believed that the only reason why he had agreed to look for John was because Talyn had wanted too.  And Aeryn knew that Talyn only wanted to find John because it would make her happy and because it would make his mother happy.  Moya missed John as much as anyone else in the crew.

            So it came as some shock that Crais had not only actually looked for John but had actually found information on where he might be, while they had spent three monens looking and had found nothing.

            Now Aeryn, D'argo, Chiana, and Rygel were waiting in the docking bay waiting for Crais's transport pod to land.  Aeryn didn't know where Jool or Stark were, but she didn't really care.  All she cared about was talking to Crais.

            The pod finally landed and Crais came walking out.  He looked slightly haggard and worn out.  He stopped in front of the assembled group.

            Almost instantly he was bombarded by questions coming from all four of them.  Crais couldn't tell who was asking what, so he just looked at them with a confused look on his face as he waited for them to calm down.

            Finally, they quieted down and Aeryn spoke up, "Where is he?  What did you find?  Is he still alive?"

            "I will answer all your questions, but perhaps we should move to somewhere I can sit down.  I am quite tired.  It was not easy getting this information."

            Aeryn was so impatient for the information that she would have done anything Crais wanted if it meant he would just tell her faster.  "Fine, let's go to the central chamber."

            The motley group moved down Moya's passageways as quickly as possible.  Everyone was just as impatient as Aeryn was to hear the news.  They reached the central chamber and they all sat down at the round table.

            As soon as Crais sat down, Aeryn began questioning him right away.  "So?  Pilot said you had information on John.  What is it?"

            Crais knew that what he was about to say would be a big shock to them, and he was hesitant to tell them.  But he knew that Aeryn would probably not be able to contain herself much longer.  And he didn't think that D'argo would act to kindly to him if he didn't say anything, either.

            "I have discovered the location of John Crichton."

            Crais waited for the reactions that he expected his statement to cause to die down.  He was not disappointed.  The look of happiness on Aeryn's face was painful to see, he still held out some hope for him and her, but he knew it would never happen as long as Crichton was still alive.

            Aeryn tried to speak but her she was getting very choked up and emotional.  _He found him!_  That thought kept running through her head.  She managed to croak out, "Where?"

            Crais responded as quickly as he could, "Ironically enough, he is exactly where you left him."

            The look of shock on everyone's face was also expected.  Aeryn again spoke up, "How?  You mean he has been on that commerce planet all this time?  But he was captured by the Peacekeepers!"

            Aeryn was horrified by the thought that she had been wrong and that John had not in fact been captured and that they had wasted the last three monens looking for him for nothing.  Thankfully, Crais's next statement calmed her somewhat.

            "No, you are correct Aeryn.  He was captured by the Peacekeepers, but he was rescued."

            D'argo spoke up for the first time, "Rescued by who?"

            Crais frowned, "I'm not really sure, but I think he was rescued by some group that was rebelling against the Peacekeepers.  You did know that the planet of Rotar was rebelling against the Peacekeepers?"  When he saw them all nod affirmative he continued, "Well, apparently the rebellion has gotten serious.  I have heard that they destroyed a Peacekeeper armory and that High Command was so angry that they sent three command carriers to the planet to deal with the problem."

            Everyone gasped at that.  Three command carriers meant that High Command was definitely serious.  Aeryn spoke up, "How did you find all this out?"

            Crais hesitated before answering, "I may no longer be a Peacekeeper captain, but Talyn is still a Peacekeeper vessel and he can sometimes pick up Peacekeeper communication transmissions.  I intercepted a transmission that detailed the situation on Rotar."

            Chiana asked a question that had been bothering her since Crais began his explanation, "But how do you know that John is still on the planet?  Just because he was rescued doesn't mean that he is still there or that he is even still alive."

            Crais nodded his head, "I realized that, so I went farther into Peacekeeper controlled space and intercepted a transmission between the Peacekeepers on Rotar and High Command.  Apparently the reason why the rebellion has been so successful is because they recently got a new leader.  One with experience fighting Peacekeepers, someone who wasn't Sebacean or Rotarian, and someone High Command was desperate to get their hands on.  That left only one person in my mind that could warrant that kind of description.  Only John Crichton could possibly be doing the things on that planet.  He is still there."

            Aeryn smiled, "That's great, we'll go get him right away."

            Crais frowned, "I don't think that you heard me correctly Aeryn.  There were three command carriers on the way to the planet.  The transmission I intercepted is over a weeken old.  The command carriers have already reached the planet by now.  You can't go."

            Aeryn spoke with determination in her voice, "I don't care about any frelling command carriers.  I have finally found out where John is and I'm going to go get him.  And not you, not any command carriers, or anybody else is going to stop me."  Aeryn then looked at everyone else as if daring them to contradict her.

            Surprisingly, Chiana agreed with Aeryn.  "I agree with Aeryn.  We know where John is so we should go find him.  John wouldn't let any command carriers stop him from trying to save us."

            Crais tried to be the voice of reason, "How are you going to get past the command carriers?  Even if you do, how do you plan on avoiding all the Peacekeepers down on the planet?"

            Aeryn shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, but we'll figure out something.  I don't know about everyone else, but I will go to John with or without your help.  I owe him that much."

            Crais, realizing that trying to stop her would be futile, did the smart thing and tried to help her plan carefully.  "Alright, but lets make a plan before we go charging into the situation.  I don't think that Crichton would appreciate your rescue that much if you all get killed in the process."

            Aeryn just shrugged Crais's suggestion off, "Fine, whatever, I don't frelling care.  I just want to find John."  

            Aeryn then activated her comm, "Pilot, I'm assuming you've been listening in?"

            Pilot's response came quickly, "Of course Officer Sun.  I have already set course for the planet of Rotar.  It will take us at least four solar days to get there."

            Aeryn said thanks to Pilot before looking back at the others.  Crais and D'argo were already discussing strategy.  She knew that she should join in but she wanted to revel in the fact that in a weeken she would get to see John again.  She needed to come up with what she wanted to say to him when she saw him.  It had to be really good, she knew that.  She just smiled and joined Crais and D'argo.

Side Note: The crew finally reunites with John, things heat up in the war, and John and Aeryn finally have a much-needed talk.            


	11. The Family Reunion from Hell

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Unfortunately, school is starting up again and that means that I will have significantly less time for writing.  So I would like to apologize in advance for posting the next few chapters later than usual.  I will try to post one new chapter a week, but I think that might be too generous a promise.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  Oh, and I have things planned for Juli that may or may not change people's opinion of her.

**Third Author's Note:** The crew of Moya reunites with John and find out more about the situation than they wanted to know.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 11: The Family Reunion from Hell

Four days after the events in _And the Lord Said, "Let there be light…"_-

            Everyone was there.  The entire crew of Moya, with the exception of Pilot of course, was standing in command waiting for the all clear signal from Crais.  When they had finally come up with a plan for getting into the Rotarian system, they had decided that the best course of action would be to send Talyn in first.  Since Talyn was armed, it would have the better chance of the two Leviathans to get away if it ran into trouble.

            The plan had been rather simple once they worked it out.  Talyn would slowly and as stealthily as possible, enter the system and scan for the three command carriers that were supposed to in orbit around the planet.  If the command carriers were in fact in orbit around the planet, and not floating around in the vastness of space, then there was a chance that Moya could enter undetected.  Crais had informed them that being in orbit around a planet dampened the carriers' effective scanning range; it supposedly had something to do with magnetic and ionic interference.

            If the carriers were in orbit, then Crais would plot a course for Moya to follow that would get them into the system undetected, and then send a signal informing them it was safe to come in.  If the carriers were not in orbit, then Crais would rejoin Moya and they would both starburst out of there.

            So that left them where they were at now, waiting for a signal they all hoped to hear.  The mood in the room was so tense, that no one was willing to talk; afraid that they would break what fragile control they had over their emotions to begin with.

            They had been waiting for more than arn, and Aeryn was really starting to get impatient.  She was so close to finally finding John, and the waiting was starting to make her go fahrbot.  _What the frell is taking Crais so long? _ It should have taken Crais only half an arn to enter the system, scan it, and then determine whether it was safe or not.  It had been more than an arn, and Aeryn was starting to worry about something happening to Talyn.

            Aeryn felt a brief spark of guilt over letting her urge to find John dominate her emotions.  Under normal circumstances, she probably would have never agreed to let Talyn go into a situation like the one he was in now, but her need to see John overrode even her concern for Talyn.  She just hoped nothing happened to them.

            Pilot's voice broke into her thoughts.  He was very excited, "Moya is receiving a transmission from Captain Crais.  It is the signal.  He says that he has found a course that Moya can follow and still be undetected.  He apologizes for the delay, but he had to avoid a Prowler patrol.

            Aeryn was the first to break the silence, "That's great Pilot.  Proceed on the course Crais gave us."

            Aeryn felt Moya powering up and start moving.

            The grenade exploded not more than fifteen feet away from John, and the force of the explosion threw him back.  Fortunately, it seemed that none of the flying shrapnel had hit him.  John brought Wynonna up and fired at the Peacekeeper that had thrown the grenade, hitting him once in the chest and in the arm.  He dropped to the ground unmoving, but his partner returned fire at John.  The pulse blasts bounced harmlessly off the large boulder John was hiding behind.  John returned fire at the Peacekeeper, but he was as unlucky as the Peacekeeper was in hitting his target.

            John then turned his head to his partner and constant shadow, and whispered to her, "You go left and I'll go right.  As soon as I count to three we'll jump out from behind this rock and fire.  Hopefully one of us will get the bastard."

            Thankfully, his partner didn't argue with him, which was strange.  He would have thought after the little speech she gave him when they were attacking the armory that she would have objected to putting himself in danger.  But she seemed to have given up trying to keep him from fighting, and instead just listened to what he said.  She had actually started following his orders.  John figured that Juli had realized that putting the safety of one man over the safety of the entire group was illogical and doomed to failure.

            John began counting, "1…2…3…go!"  John dived from out behind the boulder, and brought his pistol to bear on the Peacekeeper.  He fired two quick shots, but both went wild.  The Peacekeeper brought his rifle to line up with John's prone body, but was stopped by two pulse blasts to the chest.  He collapsed to the ground, his body still twitching.

            John slowly got to his feet, dusting himself off as he went.  He saw Juli walking up to him with a questioning look on her face.  John smiled at her, "I'm fine.  Nice shooting, deadeye."

            Juli smiled briefly and then snorted, "Yeah, well, if you did the training I want you to do, I wouldn't have needed to shoot him.  I can't believe you missed him."  Juli said the last part playfully.  She liked teasing John.

            John got indignant, "Hey!  It wasn't my fault, the pulse blasts didn't go where I told them to go."

            Juli just snorted again and walked over to the two Peacekeepers to check them over.  When Juli was out of hearing range, John looked down at Wynonna with a disapproving frown on his face.  "How could you make me look bad like that?  I thought we had understanding.  I take good care of you and not cheat on you with anyone else, and you take care of me and always hit your target.  What happened?  Don't make me find someone else!"

            After Wynonna had a thorough talking to, John placed her back in her holster and walked over to Juli who was still looking over the bodies.  This had become a common occurrence for John, searching dead bodies for important information.  _God, how morbid has my life become?_

            John crouched down next to Juli, "Anything?"

            Juli shook her head in the negative, "No, they're completely clean.  They're just grunts."

            John stood up and let out a curse, "Damn!"  

He then searched the horizon, seeing multiple flashes and hearing the explosions that were peppering the landscape.  A battle was raging across the Rotarian landscape.  Rystalva forces had engaged a massive Peacekeeper force numbering in the tens of thousands.  They were the troops from the three command carriers that had arrived in orbit around Rotar more than two weekens ago.

The Peacekeepers had wasted very little time.  The day the carriers arrived, they sent all 100,000 troops down to the planet.  Bringing the number of Peacekeepers on the planet numbering more than 130,000.  Suffice it to say, the Rystalva was hopelessly outnumbered.  They were doing all they could to stem the overwhelming flood of Peacekeeper might, but John knew that they didn't realistically stand a chance.  

At least that had been the case until two solar days ago.  Two days ago, John had been brought before the Rotarian High Council, Rotar's ruling body, and received their endorsement.  The encounter was still very fresh in his mind.

John stared in awe at the sight before him.  Sitting in front of him were seven Rotarian females, the seven members of the Rotarian High Council, and they were some of the most beautiful beings that he had ever seen.  They weren't beautiful in the sense of what humans might consider beautiful.  But they were beautiful.  

Amazingly, they were even more slim and lithe than the Rotarian males were, they were also shorter and seemed to have less mass, but they were just as imposing as the males.  The thing that made them beautiful was their fur.  Each female's fur was made up of multiple colors, unlike the males that had only one solid color, and reflected light almost like a mirror.  They were constantly surrounded by a sheen of light.

John knew that he should stop staring, after all it wasn't polite to stare, but it was hard to draw his eyes away from them.  He realized that he should probably be afraid of the seven in front of him, if they wanted, they could have him killed, but he wasn't.  

The seven females in front of him were the ultimate authority on the planet of Rotar.  Despite the fact that the Rystalva numbered in the thousands, they were nothing compared to what the Council could bring to bear on them.

The Council had requested John after the Peacekeeper command carriers had entered orbit and started sending troops down.  That had been over a weeken ago, and now was the first time there had been a lull in the fighting long enough for John to leave.  He knew that making the Council wait had angered them, they weren't used to being refused, especially by a male.  So John was more than a little wary about what their reactions would be once they finally met him.

John had a pretty good idea why he was here.  The Council wanted to question him about the conflict and about who he was.  He knew that he needed to convince them that war with the Peacekeepers was a good thing, at least as far as any war could be good, and that the Rystalva could use their support.  He didn't want to have to fight the Peacekeepers and the Council at the same time.

John's slack jawed look ended abruptly when one of the females began speaking.  "Do you know why you are here John Crichton?"

John answered with some hesitation, "Yes, I think I do."

A different female spoke up, "Then proceed."

John was silent.  He didn't know what to say that would make them do what he wanted them to do.  Both Toben and Krant had told him that the Council was very stubborn and that they only did what they wanted to do.  He had been told to tread carefully, and not risk angering them.  Which left John without knowing what to say.  Almost everything he said to the Rotarians seemed to anger them.

John's silence made the Council impatient.  One of the Rotarians spoke up, "Well, do you not have anything to say?"

John finally said something, "What can I say that will convince you that what I am doing is right?  Will you believe anything I say?"

The first Rotarian that had spoke up responded to John's questions.  "You must tell us something John Crichton.  You cannot expect us to follow you on blind faith."

John shook his head vehemently, "No, not blind faith.  But faith, yes."

One of the Rotarians had an incredulous look on her face.  "Faith in you, John Crichton?  A primitive being that knows nothing of war or our ways."

John sighed, "Yes, faith in me, and faith in the Rystalva.  They follow me because they believe in me.  Why can't you?"

The first Rotarian spoke up again, "We know who you are John Crichton.  At first we did not believe, and to tell you the truth, I still don't believe.  However, I was outvoted and you were granted your audience with us.  I don't believe that you are who you claim to be, but once again I was outvoted."

Another Rotarian began speaking as soon as the first one ended, "While it is true that those in the Rystalva follow you, we are not as easily swayed as they are.  However, it is the decision of this Council that you are in fact the Rystal.  The people of Rotar have heard of your deeds and your accomplishments and they want to follow you.  We cannot go against the will of the people.  They believe that you can defeat the Peacekeepers, and while we would have liked to have avoided a conflict with the Peacekeepers, we believe that you can as well."

When the second Rotarian finished speaking, a third began.  "Make no mistake, John Crichton, that if you are not who you say you are then we will deal with you.  We Rotarians do not like liars and impostors."

John was more than a little overwhelmed.  He had expected more trouble.  It was a little easy, easier than he had expected.  "Why the sudden change in attitude?  I thought that you did not want to get involved in this war?"

The first female spoke up, not without some anger in her voice.  "Do not mistake our hesitance as cowardice to fight.  Our people have not fought a war in over a thousand cycles.  We have forgotten what war is and what war costs.  You can not expect us to just begin a war without serious thought, and without serious consideration of the consequences."

John felt like he should apologize, "I didn't mean to imply that you were afraid, I was just curious about what changed your mind."

She began speaking again, "We had no choice.  As soon as we determined that you were in fact the Rystal, we had to defer to you.  It is part of our law, an ancient law that very few know of, but our law nonetheless.  The law was written so that when the Rystal finally arrived on Rotar, he would have total authority over our people.  If not, he could not be expected to bring us to our former status in the galaxy.  Since you are the Rystal, we must follow you.  It is the law."

John's brain was still trying to keep up with all the new input he was getting.  "So this means that you will help us?"

The first female Rotarian sighed and then began speaking, "Yes, John Crichton.  We will help you fight the Peacekeepers.  Whatever you need: weapons, men, supplies, we will provide you with what you need."

John was brought back to the present when an especially large explosion went off in the distance.  

True to their word, the Council had provided John with whatever he wanted.  Of course what John and the Rystalva had needed the most were troops.  The Council had provided the Rystalva with thousands and thousands of troops.  The entire planet was now at war with the Peacekeepers.  It was no longer just the Rystalva fighting the Peacekeepers.

With the new influx of troops, battles had sprung up all across the planet.  The Peacekeepers that had initially found themselves dominating the planet were now on the run.  The Peacekeepers were now the ones hopelessly outnumbered.  Which brought John back to the battle that was raging in the distance.

A large Rystalva force had engaged the Peacekeepers in the capital city of Rotar, and the battle had been raging for more than three days.  It was unclear which side was winning, but John knew that no matter who won, the city would be destroyed.  John had seen enough pictures of what the major European cities back on Earth looked like after WWII to know that there wouldn't be much left of the cities when this war was over.  John was just happy that most of the civilians had left the city before the fighting broke out.

John knew that the Peacekeepers were starting to lose the overall war and that worried him.  He was worried about the three command carriers in orbit.  They were one of his biggest concerns at the moment.  If they wanted to, they could turn their weapons on the planet and destroy it from orbit.  John knew that if they lost, the Peacekeepers wouldn't let Rotar get away with it.  They would rather wipe out the planet than let the planet go free.

  He knew that he needed to figure out some way to get rid of those command carriers.  That would have to wait though.  He needed to get back to base and find out how everything was going.  He had a lot of work ahead of him.

John began walking towards the fighting; talking over his should as he did.  "Come on Juli.  It's time we found the others.  They're probably wondering where we are by now."

John didn't wait or look back; he knew that Juli was right behind him.

Aeryn gripped the controls of the transport pod tightly as it entered the planet's atmosphere.  She only had a small window of opportunity to enter the atmosphere undetected.  She had to make it to the spaceport near the city of Rotar without the Peacekeepers in orbit detecting her.  Aeryn knew that it would be difficult but she knew that she could do it.  She knew that she had to do it if she was ever to find John.

Aeryn briefly looked over shoulder to make sure that her two companions were all right.  When she had insisted on going down to the planet right away, D'argo and Chiana insisted that they went with her.  All three had left Moya as soon as she was safe hiding in an asteroid field that circled one of Rotar's moons.  Fortunately, the metal in the asteroids scrambled Peacekeeper sensors and made any object in the field undetectable.

Both D'argo and Chiana looked secure, if not a little queasy from the bumpy ride.  Aeryn refocused her concentration on the controls and she noticed that they were only a thousand metras from the spaceport.  This would be the hard part.  Aeryn would have to skim along the surface of the planet to avoid Peacekeeper ground radar.  She would have to do that all the way to the spaceport.

She only hoped that she didn't venture into any of the battles that were ongoing across the planet.  Moya's sensors had detected the fighting down on the planet, and it seemed pretty fierce.  If nothing else, the fighting confirmed to her that John was still alive.  Only John could anger the Peacekeepers enough to warrant the kind of fighting that was going on down on the planet.  

She was halfway there.  Only about a hundred microts more.  As soon as they landed she knew that they would have to abandon the pod.  Which was okay with her.  She hadn't planned on leaving anyways, at least not without John.  And she knew that both D'argo and Chiana felt the same way.  All three knew what they were getting into when they decided to go down to a planet that was in the middle of a war.

The only problem, besides the Peacekeepers, that she could foresee was actually finding John.  Not only could he be anywhere on the planet, but he was supposedly the leader of the rebellion and Aeryn knew it wouldn't be easy to see him.  And that was only if he wanted to see her.  She prayed to whatever deity was out there that John would give her the chance to explain herself.

She saw that they were almost on top of the spaceport.  She searched for a clear landing pad.  She found one and began the landing procedure for the pod.  She turned to look over her shoulder and spoke up to her two companions, "As soon as we land, we need to leave right away.  If the Peacekeepers didn't detect us coming in, it will only be a matter of time before they realize that there is a strange transport pod landing."

She heard D'argo mumble some unintelligible as he unstrapped himself from his seat and readied his Qualta blade.  Chiana didn't respond as she unstrapped herself as well.

There was a slight jolt as the pod touched down and Aeryn immediately shut down the pod.  She freed herself, and picked up the pulse rifle next to her.  She had brought as many weapons as she could carry.  Two pulse pistols, a pulse rifle, a bag of frag grenades, and a couple of knives.  Nothing was going to get in her way.

She went straight for the hatch, opened it, waited for the ramp to lower, and slowly stuck her head out.  The pad looked safe.  She quickly ran down the ramp, all the while searching the area for possible targets.  This was her element, being a soldier, and she had not felt so comfortable in monens.

Once she was sure that there were no Peacekeepers she yelled back at the pod for the others to come down.  D'argo came barreling down the ramp, his Qualta blade held ready, and quickly joined Aeryn at the entrance to the pad.

Aeryn looked down the street that led from the pad and noticed it was empty.  D'argo moved ahead and began walking down the street, Aeryn soon followed him, and Chiana brought up the rear.  They knew that they needed to get away from the pod as soon as possible.

They had made it about halfway down the street when a loud voice yelled out, "Stop!  Don't move another step!"

Aeryn instinctively turned toward the sound of the voice, but saw no one.  The speaker had to be hidden in one of the alleys or buildings that lined the street.  Aeryn could feel her frustration building.  _Frell!  I don't believe it.  Only here a few microts and I've already been captured.  It really hasn't been a good three monens._

Aeryn lowered her rifle, but she did not put it down on the ground.  She saw D'argo do the same with his blade.  A person began walking out of one of the dark alleys.  He was a Sebacean male, dressed in a Peacekeeper uniform that had obviously seen a lot of action, and he was confidently aiming a pulse pistol at Aeryn.

The man moved far enough out of the alley so that all three of Moya's crew could see him.  He shouted another order, "Put your weapons on the ground!"

D'argo let out a low growl, "You are only one man, you can not shoot all of us."

The man just smiled as he motioned with his pistol for them to put their guns on the ground.  "You don't think that I would be doing this if I was alone do you?  Now don't make me tell you again.  On the ground!"

Aeryn sighed and eased her rifle to the ground.  She would never get to John if she were dead.  When D'argo saw Aeryn lower her rifle to the ground, he did the same with his blade.  Chiana dropped her own pistol to the ground.

Aeryn was about to remove the two pulse pistols strapped to her thighs, when the man spoke up.  "That is not necessary Officer Sun.  You may keep your pistols."

Aeryn looked at the man in shock.  He knew who she was.  She knew that she had become quite infamous in her travels, but she wasn't nearly as well known as John had been.  She was unsure of how the man in front of her knew who she was.  Aeryn searched her memory, trying to recall if she had ever served with the man in front of her.  She was drawing a blank.

The man smiled at her shocked expression, "Yes I know who you are Officer Sun.  In fact I know who all of you are.  Ka D'argo of the Luxans and Chiana of the Nebari.  You are all well known amongst our ranks."

The man then brought his free hand up to his mouth, placed two fingers in it, and let out a piercing whistle.  Almost instantly, people began pouring out of the area around the three captured aliens.  All in all, there were nine people.  Six Sebaceans and three others that Aeryn remembered made up the planet's natural species.

Aeryn saw a female Sebacean with dark blond hair walk up to the man that had captured them.  Aeryn could tell that the young woman was obviously in charge of the group, by the way the others looked at her and the way they seemed to treat her. 

The woman spoke to the male Sebacean, "Good job, Officer Vorel.  You handled yourself quite well.  Maybe John wasn't wrong about you."

Aeryn, D'argo, and Chiana instantly perked up at the mention of John's name.  Many thoughts began racing through Aeryn's mind.  _She knows John?  Maybe they can take us to him.  If they work for John then why are they capturing us?  I hope it's not because John doesn't want to see us._

The woman, who had had her back to Aeryn while she was talking to Vorel, turned around and Aeryn instantly recognized her.  The woman was someone she would never forget for as long as she lived.  Aeryn felt herself become overcome with anger.  Without thinking she leapt at the woman, pulling out one of her knives as she did.  She wanted to kill her.

Juli, who had been expecting the reaction of the Sebacean in front of her, was more than ready for the attack.  Even if she hadn't been prepared, Aeryn wouldn't have stood much of a chance.  Aeryn Sun may have been an excellent soldier, but she was no match for someone who had been trained as a Disruptor.

Quickly motioning to those around her not to fire at the raging Sebacean, she turned her attention back to the oncoming woman.  Aeryn, letting her anger control her, did not see the woman preparing for her attack.

When Aeryn got close enough to Juli, she let loose a powerful but wild strike that Juli easily blocked with her forearm.  Juli then stepped close into Aeryn's body, and hit her twice in the stomach.  Aeryn let out a whoosh of air, but that didn't stop her from trying to continue her assault.

Juli didn't want to harm Aeryn, but she couldn't let Aeryn hurt her either.  She had to disable her in a way that wouldn't cause permanent damage.  Juli knew that John would never forgive her if she hurt Aeryn.  She had to finish the fight quickly before it escalated.

When Aeryn's arm came down on a downward strike, Juli grabbed her arm and brought it close to her body, twisting it as she did.  The pressure was so great that Aeryn had to let go of the knife.  Once the knife dropped to the ground, Juli swept Aeryn's legs out from under her, and then placed her knee on Aeryn's throat.

Juli placed a little pressure on her throat just to show she was serious as she gritted out through her teeth, "Stop, Aeryn Sun.  I do not wish to harm you, but if you don't stop resisting, you will leave me no choice."

After realizing that she could not move, Aeryn stopped resisting and seemed to calm down.  Juli carefully got off Aeryn and stood away from her, warily watching her for any sign that she might continue the fight.

When Aeryn did not show any more hostile intent, Juli spoke to her.  "Thank you for cooperating Aeryn.  I know that John would not be very happy with me if I had to hurt you."

Aeryn, her voice slightly hoarse, let out a growl of anger.  "Take me to him, now!

Juli smiled at Aeryn's impatience, "I will be happy to take you to see him, but only if you are calm."

Aeryn took a few deep breaths, trying to ease the tension out of her body.  If the woman in front of her could take her to see John, then she would do what she said, for now.  She still owed her, though.

"Thank you, Aeryn Sun."  Juli then turned to face the Luxan and the Nebari.  "And thank you two for not getting involved."

D'argo just grunted and Chiana smiled at Juli.  D'argo spoke up, "How did you find us, we just landed?"

"We were waiting for you.  We picked up your transport pod as soon as it entered the planet's atmosphere.  The Peacekeepers aren't the only ones with extensive tracking radar.  We knew it was you, after all not too many Leviathan transport pods come to this planet anymore.  So I got some men and came over here as quickly as we could.  I knew that John would want to see you."

Juli's voice changed from the friendly tone that she had been using to a more serious one.  "As much as I would like to stand out here in the open answering your questions, I suggest that we leave this area.  A Peacekeeper patrol could come by here any microt now.  I will take you straight to John."

Juli then motioned for her group to begin leaving.  The soldiers spread out and began hurriedly walking down the street.  Vorel walked with Aeryn and D'argo, while Juli stayed in the back.

Chiana, who had been relatively quiet since landing in the spaceport, sidled up to Juli.  She had a small smile on her face and a look of appreciation in her eye, "So you are the girl that kissed John?"

Juli looked at the Nebari girl, "Yes.  I've been with him ever since."

Chiana used one of the phrases she had heard John use on more than one occasion, "Cool.  I gotta say, you have no idea how much fun it was seeing Aeryn getting her eema kicked.  You are my hero."  Chiana said the last part half-serious.

Juli just laughed.  "John said that you and I would have a lot in common.  I think I'm going to like you."

John slammed his hand down on the wooden table, rattling the table and sending a loud crack throughout the conference room.  "Damnit!  What happened this time?"

Toben, who had become used to John's emotional outbursts, barely flinched.  "They were ambushed.  The company commander was young and inexperienced, and he panicked.  He tried to lead his men in a foolish charge against the Peacekeepers and they were destroyed."

John was still overcome by his rage.  "How many made it?" he seethed out through gritted teeth.

Toben replied with his maddening calm voice, "None."

John slammed his hand down on the table again.  "That's the third time this has happened in the last weeken.  I've had enough.  No more of this familial nepotism bullshit.  I want a full evaluation of every single combat unit commander done.  If they can't do the job I want them replaced.  I don't care who their father was, or what their family did.  If they have a problem with the new system, they can come see me and I'll personally kick their asses for being such frelling morons!"

Toben just grinned at John, showing a lot of teeth.  "Of course John.  I'll have it done by tomorrow."

 John calmed down noticeably after his little tirade.  John then got an embarrassed look on his face as he looked at the thirteen people sitting at the table in front of him.  "Uh, look sorry about that.  I know I tend to get a little emotional, but these needless deaths make me so mad."

Krant who was sitting opposite John at the other end of the table just laughed.  "It is alright, John Crichton.  I find your emotional tirades to be quite amusing.  You are without a doubt the strangest being that I have ever met."

John let out a sharp laugh of his own, "Believe me Krant, you are not the first person to ever say that to me."

Toben spoke up, resuming the meeting, "Now that we have got the casualty report out of the way we need to move on to more pressing matters.  Prime Brot has much to report of the battle in the city of Rotar."

Prime Brot stood up.  He was a Sebacean male, older than most of the usual Sebaceans involved in the Rystalva, and a respected and accomplished leader.  "Thank you Toben.  I do have much to report on the status of the battle.  Our forces effectively control a little over two thirds of the city.  The Peacekeepers only hold a small area of the city.  Our forces should overcome them by the end of the day.  However, we have suffered heavy losses and need more medical supplies than have been provided for us."

John nodded his head, "I'll see what I can do, Brot, but I can't promise anything.  We're already stretched pretty thin.  Our forces in the southern continent have also suffered heavy losses and they have priority for fresh supplies.  You will have to make do with what you have until more supplies can be found."

Brot nodded his head solemnly, "I understand, Rystal.  We will hold on and use whatever we have, but we won't stop fighting.

John gave Brot a small smile, "I know you won't, Brot.  Tell your men that the Rystal says that their sacrifices will not be made in vain."

Brot responded, "That will make them very happy, sir."

Brot then sat back down.  Toben then began again, "Next, is Prime Halv, commander of our forces fighting in the Ryota River Valley.  He wishes to request additional men and the use of one of our Prowler squadrons."

Halv stood up.  He was a rather small Rotarian, only about six feet tall and did not seem to weigh nearly as much as most of the other Rotarians did.  But John knew that when it came to Rotarians, appearances could be deceiving.  Halv obviously had to be strong or else he would have never reached the rank of Prime.

Halv had a very gruff voice, "Yes, Rystal.  The Peacekeepers have been reinforced considerably and unless I am similarly reinforced, they will defeat us."

"What you need the Prowlers for?" John asked.

Halv responded, "The Peacekeepers have been reinforcing by Marauders.  If I had a Prowler squadron I could seriously hamper their efforts."

John turned to Toben and asked, "Can we spare a squadron?"

Toben briefly looked down at the pad he was holding, scanning the data there.  "I believe so."

John then turned back to Halv, "Alright, you got your Prowlers.  Try not to let very many of them get destroyed.  They're very hard to come by."

Halv nodded his head and said graciously, "Thank you Rystal.  I will do my best."

Toben then began to read the next item off the agenda when the door opening to the conference room interrupted him.  Juli walked through and walked straight up to John and whispered in his ear.  Toben could not hear what she said and was about to ask John what was going on, when John stood up and turned to him.  "I have to go, something has come up.  Take over."

John then left the room, with Juli in tow.  Toben just stared at the two for a few microts before looking back down at his list.  "Okay, next on the list is Prime…"

Aeryn was so overcome with nervousness and urgency that she couldn't even sit still for more than a few microts.  Right now she was pacing in the room that she, D'argo, and Chiana had been told to wait in while Juli went to get John.  There was no way that she could just sit calmly down in a chair, as D'argo seemed to be doing, when she knew that in a few microts she would get to see John.

D'argo had had enough of watching Aeryn pace in front of him.  "Stop pacing and sit down, Aeryn.  You are driving me fahrbot and you're starting to make me sick."

Aeryn just looked at D'argo in annoyance, "I don't know how you can just sit there like that."

Chiana spoke up, "Aeryn's right, how can you be so calm?"

D'argo responded in his gruff voice, "Believe me, I am just as excited to see John as you two, but pacing is not going to bring him here any faster."

Aeryn decided to try sitting down again and the room grew silent.  Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.  After only a few microts, though, Aeryn jumped off her chair and started pacing again.  She just couldn't sit still.  D'argo just let out a sigh when he saw Aeryn start pacing again.

Thankfully, D'argo was stopped from having to yell at Aeryn again by a knock on the door.  All three of the room's occupants instantly froze.  This was it, the thing they had been waiting for, for more than three monens.

Juli entered the room first, leaving the door wide open.  She moved off to the side and waited for John to follow her through.  When John initially didn't enter, she understood.  These people did leave him on this planet, even if two didn't mean to, and it had to be hard for him to see them again.  Especially since Juli had told him that Aeryn was with them.

Finally, after what seemed forever to the three aliens from Moya, John entered the room and closed the door.  What they saw shocked all three of them.  The last three monens had not been kind to John.  He was thin and dirty, his eyes looked like they were consumed by an inner pain, and his hair had little specks of gray in it.  He was a different man than when they had last seen him.

Of course John's change in appearance didn't stop Chiana from launching herself at him with a shriek of happiness.  John wrapped his arms around Chiana's small frame as she held on to him as if her life depended on it.  John got a large smile on his face as he looked down at the girl that he loved like a sister.  "Hey Pip."

Chiana looked up at him with some tears in her eyes, "Hey old man.  I've missed you so much."

John just wrapped his arms even tighter around her, "I've missed you too, Chiana.  You have no idea how much I've missed all of you."

Chiana realized that she was monopolizing John and reluctantly let him go.  She moved off to his side as she saw D'argo swoop in and wrap John in a huge, crushing hug.  John was having trouble breathing; D'argo was squeezing him so hard.  "Whoa Big D!  Back off a little bit.  Just a human remember.  I can't handle that big Luxan strength of yours."

D'argo looked embarrassed as he stopped squeezing John so hard, "It is good to see you John."

John smiled at D'argo, "It's good to see you too.  Is anyone else here with you?  Where's Moya, is she alright?"

"Moya is fine, John.  She is safely hidden in an asteroid field surrounding one of this planet's moons.  And Aeryn is also here with us."

At the mention of Aeryn's name, John's smile vanished and a dark look crossed his face.  "Where is she?"

Aeryn spoke up from the back of the room.  Despite her eagerness to see John, she had let D'argo and Chiana greet John first.  She knew that her reunion with John would not be as sweet as theirs, and she didn't want to ruin the moment for them.  "I am right here John."

When Aeryn spoke up, D'argo moved away from John and over to Chiana who had moved off into a corner with Juli.  He spoke quietly to her, "We should leave them alone.  I do not think either one of them would want us to see what is about to happen.  They deserve some privacy."

Chiana whined, "But I don't want to leave.  This is just getting good."

D'argo just ignored her and dragged her towards the door.  Juli followed them.  She realized that John needed to do this alone as well.  Once all three were out the door, Juli closed it and took up position standing in front of it.

The remaining occupants in the room had completely ignored the others leaving, they were too engrossed in each other.

Aeryn was the first to break the silence, "Hello John."

That simple phrase was enough to almost break John's tenuous control over his emotions.  He had wanted this day to happen for so long.  Just hearing her voice was enough for him to almost forget everything that she had done to him.  He didn't know how to respond.  The only thing that he could come up with was questions.  He finally decided on one that he had to have answered, "Why?  Why did you do it?"

Aeryn sighed, "I don't know, John.  I guess I was jealous."

John response came out harsher than he intended, but he didn't really care as much as he used too.  "Bullshit!  That's just crap and you know it.  You've been jealous before.  We both have.  But that was never enough to make us betray and abandon each other on a planet crawling with Peacekeepers trying to kill you!"  By the time he finished, John was yelling.

Aeryn just winced.  She could see that John was really angry.  But that made her happier than she would have thought possible.  Anger meant that he still cared about her; it meant that she still had a chance.

John continued on his rant, "I want the truth Aeryn.  None of this repressing emotions crap.  I deserve the truth.  You owe me that at least."

Aeryn thought long and hard about her response before she began talking.  "Honestly, John, I don't think it was any one thing.  It was a combination of things.  That whole day I had been feeling nervous and worried that something might happen to you.  That somehow the Peacekeepers would find you.  Those feelings frelled with my mind.  I was so afraid that I would lose you.  So when I saw you in that bar, kissing that tralk, my fears came crashing down on top of me.  I had always thought that I would lose you to the Peacekeepers or to Earth, but never to another woman.  My jealousy, and fear, and anger over your perceived betrayal just overwhelmed me and I did the only thing that I knew how to do.  I closed myself off and got as far away from you as I could so that my emotions could come back under my control.  Unfortunately, by the time I could control myself again, a command carrier threatened Moya and we had to leave."

John just stared at her incredulously, "Wait, let me get this straight.  You were afraid of losing me, so in order to prevent that, you left me on a frelling planet?"

Aeryn smiled briefly; there had been some of the old John in that statement.  "I know that it doesn't sound very rational, but if I had been thinking rationally in the first place I wouldn't have left you."

 John just snorted at her and then grew silent.  He had to think over what she had told him.  He wanted to forgive her so badly and just move on, but it hurt him that she didn't trust him.  As much as he hated himself for being so weak when it came to her, he knew that he couldn't bear to be away from her any longer.  That didn't mean that everything was forgiven or forgotten.  They still had a lot of issues to discuss.

After a few minutes of silent contemplation, and Aeryn staring at him with more hope than he had ever seen before in her eyes, he finally voiced his decision.  "Aeryn, come here baby."

John opened his arms and waited for Aeryn to come closer.  He wrapped his arms around her and brought her up against his body.  _God, she feels so good._  He had forgotten what it felt like to hold her in his arms.  He looked down at her head and spoke quietly to her, his voice full of emotion.  "I've missed you so much Aeryn.  God, I've missed you."

They just stood there for a few minutes holding on too each other.  Finally, John broke the hug and moved Aeryn to arms length.  He noticed that she had been crying.  He gently wiped the tears from her eyes as he spoke to her, "I need time Aeryn.  I still love you, but it hurts me that you didn't trust me.  I need time to process everything."

"I am so sorry John.  I will give you whatever time you need, just give me a chance to make this up to you."

John had a slight smile on his face, "You want to make it up to me?"  Aeryn nodded her head enthusiastically.  "Good, I was hoping you'd say something like that."

John then reached into one of his pockets and took out a comm.  "I picked this up before I came here.  It's a modified comm, all members of the Rystalva wear one.  Help me fight the Peacekeepers Aeryn.  I could really use your help."

Aeryn grabbed the comm out of John's hand and placed it on her vest.  "Of course I'll help you John.  Does this mean that you trust me?"

John was caught off guard by Aeryn's comment.  He hadn't expected that.  Trust had never been an issue when it came to Aeryn.  But he realized that things had changed between them, and her question was actually an important one.  He thought carefully before he answered.  "I trust you with my life Aeryn.  But my heart still needs more time."

Aeryn just nodded sadly.  John began walking to the door, but turned around before opening it.  "I never touched her, you know.  Not once.  She wanted me to, but I could never bring myself to do it."

Aeryn didn't have to be told who he was talking about.  If anything, she almost wished that he had touched her, that way she wouldn't hate herself as much as she did for not trusting him.

John opened the door and walked out, leaving Aeryn alone in the room, thinking about how she was going to get John to trust her again.

Side note: Just in case no one read the author's note at the beginning of the story, school is starting so it will take me longer to update my story.  The next chapter will feature Rygel in a very prominent role, as John asks him to do him a very important favor.


	12. The Frog Who Would Be King

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Unfortunately, school is starting up again and that means that I will have significantly less time for writing.  So I would like to apologize in advance for posting the next few chapters later than usual.  I will try to post one new chapter a week, but I think that might be too generous a promise.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  A Special thanks to paz, you're review was very much appreciated.  It was one of the nicest compliments anyone has ever given me with regards to my writing.  I'm glad you like my story, and look forward to anymore input you might have.  Thank you!

**Third Author's Note:** This should be the last chapter of filler information.  I only have four chapters left, and they should move fairly quickly.  They are loaded with action and tie up some of the loose threads created in this story.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 12: The Frog Who Would Be King

One solar day after the events in _The Family Reunion From Hell_-

            Captain Bialar Crais was not a man that was easily impressed.  He had seen so much of the galaxy during his tenure as a Peacekeeper captain that very few things surprised and impressed him.  So it came as no surprise to him that John Crichton was still alive.

            Unlike the others aboard the Leviathan ship Moya, Crais had learned early on not to underestimate John Crichton.  While there was certainly a large amount of animosity, not to mention jealousy, at least on his part, between the two men, Crais did respect John Crichton.  He just didn't show it.  To show that he respected Crichton would be to give Crichton an edge over him, and that was something that Crais could not do.

            Crais hated not having total control over everything in his life.  It was a weakness that a soldier could not afford.  That was why he hated Scorpius so much for replacing him, why he had taken command of Talyn, and why he disliked Crichton so much.  Whenever he was around Crichton, he lost control.  Either it was his emotions or the situation, whichever one it was didn't really matter.

            But deep down, in places of his psyche that he rarely visited, Crais knew that he and Crichton were very much a like.  They were both control freaks, stubborn, strong willed, dangerous, and always believed that they were right.  It was why he was not all that surprised that Crichton had survived three monens on a planet that was fighting a war with the Peacekeepers.  Crichton wouldn't just give up, just like Crais knew that if their roles had been reversed, he wouldn't give up.  It just wasn't in their natures.

            So Crais's respect for Crichton went up a little more.  It was that respect, more than anything else that made Crais stay where he was.  At the moment he was doing the very boring and, in his opinion, very unnecessary task of looking over Moya while she waited for her wayward crewmembers to return.  

Crais knew that there was the chance that the Peacekeepers might discover Moya and Talyn, but that chance was so small that Crais thought it a huge waste of his time to be guarding Moya.  He could be doing much more important things.  Like planning a way to rid the planet they were orbiting of those three Peacekeeper command carriers.  Crais was a soldier, a man trained all his life to fight, and he had been relegated to nothing more than a babysitter.  It angered him to no end.  As much as he disliked Crichton, he would much rather be trying to rescue him than doing what he was doing now.

The others had asked him though, to watch out for Moya, and while he hated doing it he did it anyways.  They had pointed out that Moya was their only way off of Rotar and that even though the chance of detection was small, they couldn't risk losing her.  So because Crais was the only one they trusted and the only one able to do the job, he had agreed because there was no other choice.  Crais just hoped they got back as soon as possible.

In order to keep himself occupied during his lull in action, Crais was doing something that he rarely ever did: he was willingly doing the work of a tech.  Or to be more precise, he was currently doing maintenance on Aeryn's Prowler aboard Moya.

Crais knew that he had to be really desperate for activity if he was repairing someone else's ship, but he had seen that Aeryn's Prowler could use some work done.  Aeryn had neglected her Prowler during her three-monen depression.  

Despite the fact that Crais generally disliked tech work and thought it beneath him, some former Peacekeeper ideals were hard to break after all, something could be said for the all encompassing experience of completely concentrating on fixing and creating something with your bare hands.  While no one would ever mistake Crais for a Peacekeeper tech, he had had to become quite proficient in maintenance duties during his stay aboard Talyn.  Talyn had DRDs of course, but they couldn't do everything.  At least Crais knew what he was doing.

He had been working on the Prowler for a little more than two arns, when he heard a whirring noise coming closer to the hangar bay.  He recognized the sound immediately; it was the sound of the Hynerian's thronesled.  Why the Hynerian was coming to the docking bay, Crais did not know nor did he really care.  He stuck his head back inside the Prowler and continued his work on the Prowler's navigation system.

The whirring sound got much louder, signifying that the Hynerian was inside the docking bay.  Crais heard the sound for a few microts more before it stopped.  He just acted like Rygel wasn't even there and continued working on the Prowler.  Crais may have to protect Moya and those aboard her, but that didn't mean that he had to talk to them.

Unfortunately, the Hynerian didn't share the same sentiment.  "What the frell are you doing Crais?"

Crais just sighed and said annoyingly, "What does it look like I'm doing Hynerian?"

Rygel snorted in amusement, "It looks like your trying to get your eema kicked Crais."

_What?_  Crais removed his head from inside the Prowler and turned to face Rygel with a look of confusion on his face.  "What are you talking about?"

Rygel just waved one of his small hands at Aeryn's Prowler before speaking.  "Not even Crichton is stupid enough to touch Aeryn's Prowler without asking first.  If she finds out you worked on it, she'll probably try to kill you.  Not that that isn't an image I wouldn't enjoy."

Crais just scowled at Rygel.  "Its just a ship.  Surely she doesn't care that much about it?"

Rygel shook his head, "To you and I, it's just a ship, but to Aeryn it means a lot more.  Why, I don't know."

Crais looked like he was thinking about what Rygel said, before speaking again.  "I appreciate your warning, Hynerian, but surely you did not come all the way down here to warn me about not touching Aeryn's Prowler."

Rygel responded, "I came down to ask you about the Peacekeepers surrounding this planet."

Crais again looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"Are we in any danger of being detected?"

Crais smiled to himself.  _Of course the Hynerian is only worried about himself being in danger._  "We are in an asteroid field composed of certain substances that make Peacekeeper sensors ineffective.  The only way that we could be detected is if a Peacekeeper vessel physically entered the field, and only then if they were in a few thousand metras of our position.  We are perfectly safe, Dominar."

Of course the Universe, as John Crichton had already learned many times over, has a fabulous sense of humor and decided to play a joke on Bialar Crais.  After all, how could the Universe pass up on a great opportunity like the one Crais just gave it?

As soon as Crais finished his little spiel, Pilot appeared in the clamshell in the docking bay.  He looked apprehensive and worried.  Pilot began talking hurriedly, "Captain Crais, both Moya and Talyn have detected a Peacekeeper Prowler on the edge of our sensor range.  The Prowler is moving on a direct course for Moya.  I am quite confident that it has detected us."

This was what Crais had been waiting for, some action.  He immediately sprung into action.  He spoke to Pilot, "Move Moya further into the field.  Moya may have to leave the field and starburst away if there is more than just one."

Once Crais was done giving his orders to Pilot, he focused his attention on what he needed to do.  Through his neural link, he began issuing orders to Talyn.  "Move in front of Moya and power up your cannon.  Fire only when I give the order.  Wait until the Prowler gets closer, we don't want to risk it getting away."  Talyn acknowledged his orders and did what he said.

Talyn sprung to life, moving in front of his mother, protecting her.  He then powered up his main cannon, ready to obliterate the offending Prowler should it come any closer.

The Prowler was almost in range, just a little bit closer and Talyn would have a complete lock on his target.  Crais could feel through Talyn that the Prowler was in range to be fired on.  He was about to issue the order to Talyn to fire on the Prowler, when Pilot excitedly interrupted his concentration.

"Captain Crais!  Captain Crais, do not fire!  Moya is receiving a communication transmission from the Prowler.  The pilot says that she is carrying an important message from Commander Crichton.  She is requesting permission to come aboard."

Crais was frustrated, "What kind of message?"

Pilot did not hesitate in answering; he could see how on edge Crais was, "She will not say.  She says that the message must be delivered in person."

Crais just sighed in frustration and defeat, "Very well Pilot, tell her she can come aboard.  But tell her that she is to come out unarmed.  If she does not, I will shoot her on sight."

Pilot nodded his big head, "Of course Captain Crais.  Your warning is being relayed now."

It only took about thirty microts for the Prowler to come aboard.  Crais and Rygel were still in the docking bay.  Crais armed with his pulse pistol and Rygel armed only with his biting sarcasm.  They were quite the duo.

The Prowler landed and Crais pulled his pistol out of its holster and pointed it at the Prowler.  The hatch lifted, and a woman came out.  At first Crais thought that the woman coming out of the Prowler was Aeryn, which confused him, but then he looked closer at the woman and realized that it was not in fact Aeryn.  The woman looked to have Aeryn's build, have the same kind of hair, and the woman seemed to be the same age as Aeryn, but she was most certainly not Aeryn.  After all, Aeryn did not have gray eyes, nor was she a Captain in the Peacekeeper fleet.

As soon as Crais realized the rank of the woman in front of him, he immediately snapped to attention.  It was an instinctual reaction that he thought he had gotten rid of.  It made him mad at himself that he could still be controlled like that by the Peacekeepers.

Crais had been a high-ranking captain in the fleet, but the woman in front of him was an even higher rank than he was.  It wasn't that she had more seniority, obviously that wasn't possible since Crais was significantly older than she was; it was the branch of the service that she served in.  The woman in front of him was a captain in the Special Directorate, Fleet Command; the elite of the very best captains in all of the Peacekeepers.  To be in her position at such a young age, obviously meant that the woman in front of him was a very powerful and important person.

_What the frell could she be doing here?  And why would she have a message from Crichton?_  Those thoughts were on the forefront of Crais's mind.  Fortunately for Crais, the woman saw fit to answer his questions.

She began talking, "I presume that you are Bialar Crais?"

Crais just nodded his head dumbly, before realizing how much of a fool he was acting like.  He regained his senses and started to compose himself in the way a proper captain would conduct himself.  He raised his pistol a little higher, making sure the woman saw him doing it, before speaking, "Who are you?  Why are you here, and what message do you carry?"

The woman responded quickly, "I am Captain Lorana Verity, and what I am doing here does not concern you Crais.  I am here to see him."  When she finished talking she pointed one of her slender fingers at Rygel.

To say that Rygel was shocked would have been as much an understatement as saying that Rygel occasionally got hungry.  Rygel sputtered, "Me?  What do you have to say to me?"

Lorana moved closer to Rygel until she was standing right in front of him, completely ignoring Crais.  She drew herself to her full height before speaking.  "I have a message from John Crichton for his Royal Highness, Rygel XVI, the true Dominar of the Hynerian Empire."

Rygel felt a rush of warmth come across his body.  It had been so long since someone had addressed him with such respect and reverence.  It almost made Rygel forget that he was no longer the Dominar of his people.  Rygel drew himself to his full height also.  It was only proper that he treat the captain with the same respect that she gave him, even if she was a Peacekeeper.  "Thank you, captain.  I will accept your message."

Lorana reached into her uniform and pulled out a small chip.  She pressed a button on the chip and a holographic image of John Crichton's face appeared in the air above the chip.

Rygel could see John's smiling face, and he was again assaulted by a feeling of warmth.  It had been too long since he had seen the crazy human.  John began talking, "Hey, Sparky!  Long time no see!  I know, I know, right now you're probably thinking what does that crazy human want with me?  Well let me tell you.  I need your help Rygel."

The message paused, and Rygel was able to process his surprise.  _John Crichton wants my help?  John never asks for my help._  Rygel refocused his attention on the message as Crichton began talking again.  John's voice was much more serious now, "I'm in way over my head down here, Sparky.  I don't know the first thing about leading a planet, but you do.  You're used to ruling over lots of people and I could use someone who has practical experience.  I remember back on Acquarra how you treated those people, and while I've never told you this, I was really impressed by you.  You showed me that somewhere in that green hide of yours, that there is a heart.  I need Dominar Rygel XVI again.  You said back on the Royal Planet that you wanted to be my advisor; well I'm giving you that opportunity again.  Come down to the planet and help me.  I promise you that you will have an unlimited supply of food.  If you agree, Lorana will bring you down to the surface."

With that said, the message ended.  John's face disappeared and Lorana dropped the chip down on the ground.  She then promptly stepped on the chip as hard as she could, crushing it into tiny pieces.  She looked at Rygel's questioning gaze and felt compelled to respond.  "In case I am captured, there will be no evidence that I have had contact with John Crichton.  My loyalties cannot be in question."

Crais had to speak up, "What loyalties would those be, Captain"

Lorana faced Crais with a calm and stoic look on her face, "My loyalties are to my commanding officer and to John Crichton.  No other matter."

She then turned back to face Rygel who was deep in thought.  "I am sorry to rush you, your Highness, but I must have your decision.  The admiral cannot afford to have me gone for long, and we only have a limited time frame for us to go down to the planet."

Rygel really liked the woman standing in front of him.  If only everyone else that he knew gave him the proper respect that he deserved.  He had come to his decision almost right after John's message ended.  There wasn't much of a choice in his opinion.  He could either be stuck on Moya and do nothing for however long it took Crichton to finish his war with the Peacekeepers, or risk being killed down on the planet but at least he would be in a position of power again.  And if there was one thing that Rygel loved almost as much, if not more than food, it was power.

Rygel spoke as graciously as he could, "It is alright captain.  I have made my decision.  I will accompany you down to the planet.  Take me to John Crichton."

The captain nodded her head, "Do you have any belongings you wish to bring with you?  It may be a while before you are able to return to Moya."

Rygel thought about that carefully for a few microts before answering, "No, everything I need I have with me."

"Okay, then we will leave immediately.  Come, I will help you into my Prowler."

Rygel curiosity got the better of him, "Why are you being so nice to me?  Not even my own crewmates treat me like you do."

Lorana responded as she was helping Rygel into the Prowler.  "Crichton said that if I treated you like you were still a Dominar, you would be more willing to agree to what he wanted.  He said that your pride and ego would stop you from realizing how dangerous the situation you were placing yourself into was."

Normally Rygel would have been offended by what the captain had just said.  But what she had said sounded so much like something Crichton would do that all it made him do was smile.  Rygel knew that Crichton understood him better than most people.  He would just have to remember to insult Crichton more harshly than normal when he saw him.

Side Note: This chapter didn't exactly go to plan.  I was unsure on how to end it.  I wanted to make it a lot longer, but for some reason it didn't seem to want to get longer.  Tell me what you think.

            In other news, because of school and because of the length of the next two chapters, it will be a while before I update.  In the next chapter, Rygel meets John and the others, John makes preparations to end the war with the Peacekeepers, John begins to understand wormholes better, more tension springs up between Aeryn and Juli, and the Scarrens are pulled into the conflict.

            Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing.  Spread the word, tell more people about this story.  The more people that review, the more I'll want to continue this story into Part two.  Thanks!


	13. The Three Hundred Spartans

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** Unfortunately, school is starting up again and that means that I will have significantly less time for writing.  So I would like to apologize in advance for posting the next few chapters later than usual.  I will try to post one new chapter a week, but I think that might be too generous a promise.

**Second Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  A Special thanks to paz, you're reviews are very much appreciated.  They are some of the nicest compliments anyone has ever given me with regards to my writing.  I'm glad you like my story, and look forward to anymore input you might have.  Thank you!

**Third Author's Note:** This chapter is the beginning of the end for this part of my story.  There will be lots of action, suspense, drama, and … oh who am I kidding.  Just read the chapter.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 13: The Three Hundred Spartans

Takes place a few arns after _The Frog Who Would Be King_-

            Ever since John had come to the Uncharted Territories all those cycles ago, people had told him that he was crazy.  And he had been, for a little while at least.  If killing the woman you loved didn't make you crazy, John didn't know what did.  But John thought that he had dealt with his problems.  He had beaten and learned to control Harvey, he had come to terms with his life in the Uncharted Territories, and he had accepted that he would never get home.

            Of course all that had changed the day he visited that cave and found out that the Ancients had screwed him over again.  He hadn't told anyone, especially Juli, but he had been having flashes of strange looking symbols ever since he had left that cave.  At first they came sporadically, maybe only once a weeken, but they had steadily become a daily occurrence.

            John knew that the symbols were wormhole equations, but despite the fact that he had been seeing them for more than a monen, he still didn't really understand them.  In fact the only difference between now and before Jack unlocked the information in his mind, is that now he can actually see the equations instead of having them hidden.

            Being so tantalizingly close to the equations but still unable to understand them was slowly driving John insane.  It wasn't that he was in a big hurry to get home, he still had a lot of things to do left on Rotar, but the equations were constantly on his mind, distracting him.  He wanted to solve them, if nothing else, than to get them out of his mind.  He hated not knowing.

            His only consolation was that certain bits and pieces were slowly falling into place.  He was beginning to understand them, unfortunately he was moving at a pace that would have made a snail look like Speedy Gonzalez.  That was what was driving him crazy, knowing that he might eventually solve the equations in his mind but also knowing that it would take forever to happen.  

            So far he had been able to hide his distraction and preoccupation from everyone, but John didn't know how much longer he could last.  Juli had been watching him like a hawk ever since he had been kidnapped, and now that Aeryn and the others were on Rotar, John knew it was only a matter of time before he was discovered.  He didn't want them to think that he was nuts.  He had already been through that on Moya.  He didn't want everyone's pity, and he was tired of the others looking after him like he was a little kid that didn't know what he was doing.

            If the others thought that he was crazy, they would probably do something drastic, or even worse; stop him from living his life.  As much as John hated doing what he was doing on Rotar, he realized a long time ago that he needed to do it.  As much as he wanted to do it for the people of Rotar, he knew that he was doing it for himself as well.  He wanted to prove right all those people that believed that he could be what they wanted.  He wanted to show everyone that he wasn't the incompetent, ignorant, stupid human that got everyone in trouble everywhere he went.  If the others thought that he was nuts, they would make him stop being the Rystal, and he didn't want that.

            It wasn't an ego thing, or even about pride, it was, as so many other things in his life had been, about his father.  John had always looked up to his father.  Up until he had come to the Uncharted Territories, he had subconsciously sought out his father's approval in just about everything he did.  He wanted his father to be proud of him, he wanted to show that he could be the kind of man that his father was.  

            That search for approval had waned since he came to this part of the galaxy, but it had never disappeared.  John had met Aeryn, and the focus of his need for approval had shifted to her.  Aeryn quickly became the person that he looked up to, that he searched for his approval.  She was just such an amazing person and he loved watching her grow into a complete person.  A compliment or word of approval from her could make his day, hell, it could make his week.

            But all that had changed when Aeryn had left him on Rotar, and John had found out that he was supposed to be some planetary savior.  When he had seen the image of the Ancient Jack talking to him, he had been reminded of his father.  He had thought that he had finally moved past his feelings of inadequacy when compared to his father, but when he had seen that image, he once again felt like he had to prove something to his father.  He had to prove that he was his own kind of hero.  He had to prove that he could do what so many people who believed in him thought he could do.

            He had been writing the equations down, hoping that maybe that would help him solve the equations.  Unfortunately, that had only made the equations pour into his consciousness faster.  That would have been a good thing if not for the fact that the increased understanding also meant extreme distraction.  And he could not afford to be distracted, not with the war with the Peacekeepers coming to a head.

            Once he had realized that writing the equations down was only making matters worse, he had tried to stop, but he couldn't help himself.  Every single microt of free time that he had was spent trying to solve the equations.  Which also meant the time set aside for sleeping.  John had not slept for more than five arns in as many days, and yet amazingly he was not tired.  For some reason, when he concentrated on solving the equations he never felt the tug of sleep, or the rumble of his stomach.  If he actually cared, John probably would have tried to figure out why he didn't feel tired, but since he didn't care John just let it go.

             At the moment he was in his quarters, writing the equations down on some paper he had scrounged up.  He had managed to sneak away from everyone for a little while, and have some time for himself.  Usually he would have used this time to take one of his walks, but since the equations started occupying his thoughts day and night, he used this time to work.

            He had already filled up more than ten pages of equations, drawings, and ideas that he had come up with.  He was working on the eleventh page when he heard a knock on his door.

            John quickly shoved his papers under his bed.  He didn't want anyone to know what he was working on just yet.  He had yet to tell anyone what had happened to him when he blacked out in the cave.

            He answered the knock rather harshly, "What!"

            A voice responded from the other side, "It's Juli, John.  Captain Verity just arrived and she brought your friend with her."

            John softened his tone, "Ok, I'll be right there.  Hold on."

            John made sure his papers were well hidden before straitening his clothes.  He walked up to the door and opened it to Juli's smiling face.  "What's got you in such a good mood?"

            Juli just continued smiling, "I'm always in a good mood, especially when I'm with you.  You're the one that always letting your emotions get the better of you."

            John said annoyingly, "Haha, very funny Kid.  Just take me to see the little slug."

            Juli's smile faded a little bit at the mention of her hated nickname, before turning around and leading John towards the landing area.

            When John and Juli arrived at the landing area in the Rystalva's mountain complex, Aeryn, D'argo, and Chiana were already there.  The Prowler was just setting down.  The canopy of the ship lifted and a woman climbed out, assisting Rygel as she did.  She put him briefly down on the ground and then placed his thronesled right next to him.  Rygel wasted very little time climbing into his thronesled and bringing it up to its normal height.

            Rygel zoomed over to his three crewmates and began talking to them.  Meanwhile, Lorana, after making sure that the Prowler was secure, walked over to John and Juli.  When Lorana got within just a few feet of John, she stopped, straitened up and gave John a crisp military salute.

            John was a little lost.  He had never really saluted anyone before, so he didn't know the proper way to respond.  He just did the only thing he knew how to do: he talked to her.  "Whoa there!  No need to salute me."

            Lorana looked confused, "But sir, you are my superior officer.  It is against regulations not to show you proper respect."

            John just gave Lorana a comforting and understanding smile.  Here was another Peacekeeper that was giving him the chance to show her that there was more to life than rules and regulations.  _You would think that someone who was betraying the Peacekeepers would be a little more flexible in how they do things._

            John left Juli's side and walked over to Lorana.  He could see her becoming more uncomfortable the closer he got.  He grabbed her arm and started walking away from everyone.  "Walk with me, talk with me.  What is with you Peacekeepers and always having to follow the rules?  Don't you know that rules are made to be broken?"

            Lorana was still very uncomfortable with John being so close to her and holding her arm.  She tried to plead her case, "But sir, I must follow the rule…"

            John just interrupted her, "And another thing.  I hate being called sir.  I am not my father, and until I get to be as old as he is, I never want to hear you ever call me sir again.  Got it?"  He had said the last part good-naturedly but he should have known better.  John could see the look of embarrassment and chastisement on Lorana's face.

             John sighed and stopped their walking.  He moved in front of her and tried to look her in the face, but her head was down.  He moved his hand to her face and slowly lifted her head so that he could look her in the eye.  "Look, I know that you are still a Peacekeeper and have yet to learn the benefits of having a sense of humor, but that was a joke.  I wasn't serious."

            Lorana looked at him with a spark in her eye, "I know what a joke is.  I just didn't think yours was very amusing."

            John just stared at her with his mouth slightly open.  He couldn't believe what he just heard.  _Oh my god, she just made a joke.  Maybe she's not as uptight as I thought_.  John just started laughing, rather loudly, startling everyone on the landing area.  They all turned to look in his direction.  John finally stopped laughing and looked at Lorana who was still standing in front of him.  "Thank you, I haven't laughed like that in a while.  But seriously, you don't have to call me sir.  In fact I insist on it.  I am ordering you to never call me sir.  If you have to talk to me, call me John."

            Lorana still looked like she was slightly uncomfortable.  Now it had more to do with John's order than it did with his closeness.  "If that is what you wish, sir-I mean John."

            John gave her a warm smile, "It is.  Hearing people call me sir makes me feel like I'm old.  I've got more than enough to worry about now without having to worry about whether or not I am an old man."

            John then turned to look at the five other people on the landing area who were still staring at him and Lorana.  John noticed that both Aeryn and Juli were shooting subtle glares in his direction.  It was then that John realized how close he and Lorana were standing.  _Oh frell!  Danger Will Robinson!  Back away from the girl right away before blood starts spraying._  John stepped away from Lorana, and said, "Come on, the others are waiting for us.  We have a lot to talk about."

            Toben was in his element.  This was what he loved to do.  He loved it even more than combat, and for a Rotarian that was almost unheard of.  Toben was, as John Crichton had called him on more than one occasion, a 'glorified paper pusher'.  Whatever that meant. 

At the moment Toben was doing his daily inventory of the Rystalva's supplies, troops, intelligence reports, and maintenance requests.  There was just something about the sterile order of numbers that brought a feeling of calm to Toben.

It wasn't that Toben was afraid of fighting.  Far from it.  He was after all related to Kwami, the former leader of the Rystalva and one of the fiercest warriors he had ever seen, and the warrior spirit flowed in his blood.  It was just that Toben loved organizing things.  He knew that he was different from most Rotarians, and that only made him embrace his strange behavior even more.  Toben liked to be different.

When John had chosen Toben to handle all the important, but extremely boring, details of running a large organization like the Rystalva, Toben had thanked him profusely.  John had said he wanted nothing to do with any of the little stuff, which perfectly suited Toben.

Not only did Toben get to do all the number crunching, he also got to lead all the meetings of the twelve former primes when John was too busy to be there himself.  Toben knew that he was different from most Rotarians, but that didn't mean that he wasn't like them at all.  He still loved that he was in a position of power over the twelve.  He was still a Rotarian after all, and Rotarians instinctively craved power.

He was just finishing his inventory when the twelve primes that he had just been thinking about began pouring into the conference room.  Eleven took their normal spots along the table.  Krant who was the most senior of the primes and the one they all deferred to, stayed standing and addressed Toben.  "Where is John Crichton, we have much to discuss."

Toben responded promptly, "As I'm sure all of you have heard by now, several of John Crichton's former shipmates have arrived on Rotar and John is currently spending his time with them.  He said he did not wish to be disturbed."

Krant also responded without hesitation, "I understand the Rystal's need to reminisce with his shipmates, but we have a very important issue to discuss that demand's his attention.  I mean no offense, but I feel that your input alone is not adequate enough for the situation."

Toben bristled at Krant's comment, but kept his emotions under control.  "I assure you that I am quite capable of handling any situation.  But if you insist in John Crichton being here, then I will ask him to come."

Krant nodded his big head, "I insist.  We insist."  Krant said the last part while he spread his arms wide to encompass the eleven other primes sitting in the room.

Toben frowned a little, but he gave in to their wishes.  "Very well.  But this had better be important or he will not be happy."

Toben then activated the comm that he kept with him at all times, and spoke into it.  "John?  I hate to disturb you, but Krant and the others are demanding your presence in the conference room.  They say that they have a very important issue to discuss with you."

There was a long pause, and then a loud sigh could be heard.  "Alright Toben, I'll be there in a few microts.  Tell Krant and the others that the end of the world better be happening, or else there'll be hell to pay."

John kept up the appearance that he was pissed off at being interrupted, but on the inside, he was sighing in relief.  He had been taking everyone on a tour of the base, and he had felt like he was in hell the whole time.  Suffice it to say, having Aeryn, Juli, and Lorana all together at the same time was not one of John's brighter ideas.  

He had thought that their common backgrounds would have brought them together, they were after all in some way or another ex-Peacekeepers, and they were all extremely independent and strong women.  If anything John had thought that they would have banded together against him, not be in constant conflict with each other.  Obviously, John did not understand women.

John could understand why Aeryn and Juli might not get along, but why they didn't like Lorana, and vice versa, was beyond him.  Ever since they had left the landing area, the three women had been bickering with each other.  At first he had thought that they were fighting amongst each other because they didn't know each other.  John could understand that, after all it wasn't easy to trust people in this part of the galaxy.  But John had thought that would have ended once they got to know each other a little better, but once again he had been wrong.

John was just thanking God that the fighting hadn't become physical.  He definitely would have hated having to get in between the three, especially since all three women could easily kick his ass.

John turned his head slightly to the right to look at D'argo who was walking next to him.  John voiced his frustration, "What the hell is wrong with those three?"

D'argo laughed and smiled at his friend, "They are females, John.  No one understands why they do the things they do.  But if I had to guess, I would say that they were fighting over you."

John looked at D'argo with a shocked expression on his face, "Me?  Why do you say that?"

Chiana, who had been walking next to John on his left, laughed.  "Come on John, isn't it obvious?  I realize because you're a man that you're pretty stupid about these things, but I didn't think that you were that stupid."

John let the insult pass; he was too interested in hearing what Chiana meant.  "What are you talking about Pip?"

Chiana eagerly replied to John's question.  He so rarely asked for her advice that she was always happy to help him anyway she could.  "I haven't completely figured out that Peacekeeper captain yet, but Aeryn and Juli are pretty easy to read.  Both of them see each other as competition, so they naturally don't like each other.  The captain, I think, feels the same way, although I could be wrong about her.  She is even more closed off emotionally than Aeryn."

John digested what Chiana had said, recognizing the behavior in all three women, but especially Aeryn and Juli.  John became visibly frustrated.  He grounded out through clenched teeth, "God damnit, I do not need this crap right now.  The last thing I need to worry about is whether or not those three are going to kill each other.  I need all of them."

Chiana looked sympathetically at John, "Look at the bright side.  No matter what happens, you'll always have me!"

John smiled warmly at Chiana, "As comforting a thought as that is Pip, I don't think you posses quite the killer instinct those three do.  I need that instinct if I'm going to win this war."

Chiana immediately became indignant, "Hey, I'll have you know that I can take care of myself.  I too have that killer instinct!"

John laughed lightly at Chiana and draped his left arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.  "I love ya Pip, but I'm about as scared of you as I am of Rygel.  You're just so damn cute."

Chiana gave John a pained glare, before snuggling in closer to his body.  She had missed doing this kind of thing with him.  John reminded her so much of her brother Nerri, in fact at many times she sometimes wished that he were her brother.  It wasn't that she didn't love Nerri, but Chiana knew that John Crichton would always be there for her.  

Of course there were times where she occasionally had less than brotherly feelings for him.  But she had always had those kinds of feelings for John, since she had first met him.  Those feelings had temporarily disappeared when she and D'argo had become involved, but they came back full force after the fiasco with Jothee.  She had learned long ago to suppress those feelings, especially since she knew that John would always be interested more in Aeryn than he would ever be interested in her.  That didn't mean she didn't love flirting with him and teasing him, though.

John looked down at the mop of white and gray hair, smiling the whole time.  He felt Chiana move in closer to him.  She was practically leaning on him.  John didn't mind of course.  John had always been an affectionate person, especially when it came to physical contact, and since Aeryn rarely let him touch her, even when things had been going great between them, he usually turned to Chiana to fulfill his needs.  There wasn't anything sexual or romantic about it, it was just the kind of relationship they had.

John looked up and noticed an amused look on D'argo's face as he looked at them.  "What?"

D'argo just smiled even more, "Oh, its nothing John.  I was just wondering if you were trying to get yourself killed is all."

John looked at D'argo blankly, "Uh?  What are you talking about?"

D'argo nodded his head in the direction of the three women behind them.  "Well its just that those three are fighting because they're jealous of each other, and here you are walking with Chiana practically attached at your hip.  I just thought it was funny how you can sometimes be so oblivious to the things around you."

John just glared at D'argo, "Frell them, they can think what they want, but I'm not going to change how I live because of them."

D'argo just laughed, "It's your choice, but I don't think it's a very good one.  Not to mention potentially hazardous to your health."

John shook his head, "Yeah, whatever.  It doesn't matter anyway.  We're here."

John pointed to the door that led to the conference room.

Krant was becoming impatient, "Where is John Crichton?  This delay is unacceptable."

Toben was becoming impatient himself, not to mention a little angry.  "He said he was coming.  He will be here when he gets here, so I suggest you shut up and wait like the rest of us."

Krant let out a low growl.  Despite his accomadating nature, he still did not like it when someone so young talked in such a disrespectful matter to him.  If it hadn't been for the fact that he had allowed Toben to become Second, and for the fact that he was too old, he might have felt obligated to physically teach the young Rotarian a lesson in how to show proper respect for one's elders.  Instead he just let it go, and sat down in his chair.

Fortunately, for both Toben and Krant, they did not have to wait much longer for John to show up.  Only about twenty microts after Krant had sat down, John, accompanied by everyone else, walked into the conference room.  John had a scowl on his face as he looked at the seated former primes.  He began talking to them as he moved to his place at the head of the table.  "What the frell is so important that you needed me here?  I told Toben that I was busy.  Can't you people let me have just a little time to myself?"

John sat down in his chair and waited for a response from the people sitting in front of him.  When he had waited more than fifteen microts without getting one, he let his anger and impatience come out.  "What the frell is going on here?  You drag me all the way down here, and when I finally get here, you have nothing to say?"

John still got no response, and he was about to shout again, when he finally noticed why everyone was so quiet.  They were all staring behind him, more specifically at Lorana, who along with everyone else had moved behind him and were standing at the back of the room.

John's anger was replaced with confusion as he saw the primes staring at Lorana.  Their reaction was very surprising. 

Krant, using that magical ability he seemed to posses that allowed him to know what everyone else in the room was thinking, spoke up.  "What is she doing here, John Crichton?"

John knew who Krant was talking about, but he couldn't stop himself from turning around in his seat and looking at whom Krant was pointing at.  Of course it was Lorana.  John could see a look of uncomfortable surprise on Lorana's face.  She obviously hated being the center of attention.

John turned back around in his seat to face Krant.  "That's Lorana.  I told all of you about her almost a monen ago, what's the problem?"

Krant had an accusatory tone to his voice, "You told us that she was a captain in the Peacekeepers.  You did not tell us that she was a captain in the Special Directorate.  There is a big difference."

John let some of his waning anger into his voice, "Look, I don't care what branch of the Peacekeepers that she used to be a part of.  She, along with the admiral, have both joined us in our fight against the Peacekeepers, and that's all I need to know.  And if that's all I need to know, then that's definitely all you need to know."

Krant raised his voice a little, "Rystal, Special Directorate do not leave the Peacekeepers.  There is a reason why they are Special Directorate.  They are the most loyal, most experienced, and most well trained.  She is not to be trusted and she should not be here."

John was about to argue the point some more, when a voice from the back instantly spoke up.  John immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Juli.  "I have left the Special Directorate as well, should I not be trusted Krant?"

Juli's comment shut Krant up.  He had obviously forgotten that Juli had used to be a Disruptor.  When no one had said anything for a few microts, John had finally thought the issue dead.

For Krant the issue was not dead.  The only reason why he had not continued the argument was because of the embarrassment that he had felt over forgetting about Juli Fallon's former employers.  But in Krant's mind the two situations were completely different.  Krant had forgotten about Juli because he was so used to her, and Krant was sure that she was one of the few people whose loyalty was without question.  Krant knew that her loyalty was mainly to John, and not necessarily to the Rystalva, but as long as John was the Rystal, Krant trusted Juli Fallon implicitly.

Besides, Juli had proven her loyalty on many different occasions, the Peacekeeper captain had not.  Until the captain did prove her total loyalty to the Rystalva, Krant would continue to think of her as Special Directorate.  And he would use all his considerable influence to make sure that the other primes did as well.

That was an issue to discuss at a later time.  He had lost his momentum during the argument, and he needed to get it back.  The issue that he had come here to discuss initially needed priority.

John spoke up, "Look, everyone needs to relax.  Maybe take some prozac."  John stopped talking and looked pointedly at Krant.  "You had something you wanted to talk to me about.  And before you say something, no I will not ask Lorana to leave.  So if you have anything to say you need to say it in front of her."

Krant got a frown on his face, or at least what John considered a frown to look like on a Rotarian.  Almost as soon as the frown appeared, it disappeared.  Krant seemed to come to some internal decision.  He stood up and began speaking in his commanding voice, "As you know, John, the Peacekeepers have suffered many defeats over the last few solar days.  Our forces have overwhelmed and destroyed many of their bases, and the Peacekeepers are on the defensive."  Krant said this last part with a predatory smile upon his face.

Krant then pressed a button on the top of the table, and a holographic image appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of the table.  The image was actually a highly detailed topographical map of the region surrounding the capital city of Rotar.  Krant pressed another button and the image suddenly exploded outward, and then coalesced back together, this time with a more specific focus on the range of mountains that were just south of the city.

Krant began talking again, "With the exceptions of a few isolated pockets of resistance in strategically unimportant locations across the planet, the Peacekeepers have concentrated their remaining forces at their garrison in the Ryota Mountains.  Because of its strategic importance and because it is the last bastion of Peacekeeper control on this planet, the Peacekeepers have been doing all that they can to make sure that the garrison does not fall."

Krant pressed another button and again the image exploded outward, before reforming itself, an even more detailed image of the mountains this time with emphasis on the Peacekeeper garrison.  The image had little symbols representing the different forces.  In the garrison there were symbols representing the Peacekeepers, while around the garrison there were symbols representing the forces of the Rystalva.

Krant continued his briefing, "Before we had moved our own forces into the area, the Peacekeepers had significantly reinforced the garrison.  Our intelligence reports put the number of Peacekeepers in the garrison around only twenty thousand.  Now considering how many troops the Peacekeepers started out with at the beginning of this conflict that is a relatively small number.  Which is why this garrison is so strategically important.  If we can destroy the garrison there will no longer be a Peacekeeper presence on this planet.  With the exception of the command carriers in orbit of course, but we can only do so much at once."

Once again Krant stopped, letting what he had just said sink in to the others in the room.  The former primes had of course already been through this briefing, but John had only been briefly informed of the current state of affairs.  He had no idea that the war with the Peacekeepers had progressed as much as it had.  He really had been spending too much time working on his wormhole equations.

John smiled.  "That's great to hear Krant, and while this is certainly great news, I don't uderstand what the big emergency is."

Krant did not smile however.  "As I was saying, our own forces have been laying siege to the garrison for some time now.  We have been attacking them constantly and have significantly worn them down.  We estimate that only a quarter of them remain, which would be great news if not for the information that I received earlier today."

John recognizing the seriousness of the situation quickly sobered.  "What information did you get Krant?  What's so important?"

Instead of answering John's question directly, Krant went off on a tangent.  "As you know John, this war has not been an easy war."  Krant then laughed humorlessly before continuing, "No war is ever easy, but this one has been especially difficult.  While it is true that we have defeated the Peacekeepers in almost every major battle, we have only done so because we overwhelmed them with superior numbers."

Krant paused before turning to face John directly, looking him in the eyes.  "We have suffered many casualties.  Thousands upon thousands of our people have died, our cities have been destroyed, and our world has been destroyed.  But we knew that this would happen when we agreed to fight the Peacekeepers, and we have accepted this.  However, our forces, despite being large in number, grow weary and tired of fighting.  This has only been a short war, but has caused as much damage as if it had lasted a hundred cycles."

John shook his head and said in a sad voice, "I understand you Krant, believe me I do, but I don't understand what this has to do with the garrison."

Krant nodded his head in understanding, "I'm getting to that John.  I do not believe our forces can handle another monen of fighting.  If the Peacekeepers were to reinforce the garrison with more troops, then this war will prolong, possibly indefinitely.  Our forces surrounding the garrison have already expressed their desire for this war to end, and wish to attack the garrison with everything we have and end the war once and for all.  I have been reluctant to take such action, because even with their depleted forces, the Peacekeepers will be able to inflict heavy casualties on our forces during any attack.  However, the information that I received this morning has forced me to reevaluate my opinion."

Krant paused and took a deep breath.  "I received word from one of my spies on board one of the command carriers, that the Peacekeepers are sending down every single soldier that they can spare to reinforce the garrison.  My spy tells me that the Peacekeepers will be sending down almost twenty thousand soldiers.  They are only keeping the barest minimum of Peacekeepers needed to run the carriers on board, all other Peacekeepers are being sent down.  I have even heard that they are sending techs.  That just shows you how serious and how desperate the Peacekeepers are about keeping that garrison.  We cannot allow them to reinforce the garrison.  We will never be able to attack it if they are up to full strength and I don't think our forces will last long enough to wear them down again."

Krant knew that the newcomers would need time to digest the information that he had just given them, so while he waited he sat down in his chair.  He could see that John was deep in thought.  He was unconsciously biting the edge of his thumb, something Krant knew that John did when he was concentrating especially hard on something.

John stopped biting on his thumb long enough to ask Juli to come forward as Krant knew he would.  John always asked for Juli's advice when it came to any military related decisions.  That was another reason why Krant trusted Juli, she knew what she was talking about and always gave John good advice.

John looked up into Juli's face, and a wordless question passed between them.  They had gotten to know each other so well over the couple of monens that they had been together, that they could communicate with each other without saying anything.  John felt a pang of remorse as he remembered that he had lost that connection with Aeryn.

Juli began answering John's unspoken question. "I think the most obvious course of action would be for us to attack the garrison as soon as possible so that the Peacekeepers have nothing to reinforce.  Then the Peacekeepers coming down will have nowhere to go."

Krant responded, "I have thought of that as well, Juli Fallon.  Unfortunately, we do not have the forces to launch such an attack.  It would take at least two solar days to get the needed number of soldiers to reinforce our own forces to launch a successful attack.  My spy tells me that the Peacekeepers will start landing tomorrow.  I have already ordered reinforcements be sent, but there won't be enough there in time."

Juli was about to begin speaking again, when Aeryn who had moved up to stand next to John preempted her.  "Then you must attack the convoy, before it reaches the garrison."

Juli looked at Aeryn with disdain.  "Attack a Peacekeeper convoy on open ground?  Are you fahrbot?"

Aeryn felt anger course through her body, "It is the only chance we have.  The Peacekeepers must not reinforce the garrison.  It is a logical decision.  If you can't destroy the garrison then you must destroy the thing that will ensure the garrison's survival."

Juli was completely facing Aeryn now, practically ignoring everyone else in the room.  "Come on, even a first year cadet knows that you never attack an enemy, no matter how much you might outnumber him, on open ground.  That's suicide!"

Aeryn had just about had enough.  It had made her very angry when she had seen the easy camaraderie between Juli and John.  She hated the way things were between John and her.  Since they had had their talk, John had not spent more than an arn with her.  He was always by himself or with that stupid tralk Juli.  She wanted the easy interaction, the connection that she had had with John back.  It wasn't helping that Juli seemed to have taken her place in his life.  That was why she was arguing with Juli right now.  She needed to show Juli who was in charge.

Aeryn barked out, "It's not suicide if you know what you're doing.  If you can't plan the attack on your own, I'd be more than happy to do it for you."

Juli said menacingly, "Oh, I bet you would, wouln't you?  You think you know what you're doing?"

Aeryn was about to retaliate, when she heard a loud cracking sound.  John, in intense anger, had slammed his hand down on the table.  Both women stopped arguing and looked at John in shock.

John stood up, his eyes blazing in anger.  "Shut up, both of you!  I asked for your frelling help, not this crap.  As interesting as this catfight is, I've had enough."  John then got up and began pacing along the length of the table, moving behind the seated primes.

Still pacing John spoke, "Hey D!  You got any great ideas?"

D'argo, along with both Chiana and Rygel, had been relatively ignored since coming into the conference room.  So it came as some surprise when John asked for his advice.  However, this was a topic that D'argo had quite a bit of experience in and so was ready to answer John.  He had actually already been thinking up battle plans to give to John when they were in more private locations, but now was as good a time as any.

D'argo spoke, his gruff voice reverberating around the room.  "I think that you should do both.  Attack the convoy and the garrison at the same time."

John abruptly stopped pacing and stared at the holographic image still hovering above the table.  He began walking closer, intently studying the map.  There was something that he was trying to focus on, and the closer he got, the clearer the idea in his head became.  John stepped in between two of the primes still sitting in their chairs and reached out his hand, touching the image.

John suddenly exclaimed, "D'argo, you're a frelling genius!  I can't believe I didn't see this sooner!"  John then ran over to D'argo and wrapped him up in a big hug.  D'argo was too shocked by John's reaction to do anything other than mumble, "I am?"

John stopped hugging D'argo and faced everyone in the room, all of whom were staring at him like he was some strange bizarre creature that they were just seeing for the first time.

Seeing John's reaction brought back to Aeryn so many memories of other times John had acted like a raving lunatic.  Before she even knew what she was doing, she involuntarily started speaking, "You are the most bizarre…" She never had a chance to finish because John cut her off.

With a wide smile directed solely at Aeryn, John finished her sentence.  "…Creature I have ever met.  Yeah I know Aeryn, but that's why you love me."

John sudden change in behavior shocked everyone except those who knew him best.  This was not the first time they had seen him go from angry one microt to happy and excited the next.  It was actually a good sign to those from Moya.  It meant that there was still a part of the John that they had known still inside him somewhere.

John stopped staring at Aeryn, not noticing the brief look of hurt pass across Juli's face.  John hurriedly moved back to where he had been standing, looking at the holographic map.

John began pointing his index finger at a point on the map.  He then began speaking, "D'argo is right.  We need to attack both targets at once, and I have figured out how we're going to do it."

Krant, getting over his surprise at John's revelation, spoke up.  "How John?  Juli Fallon is correct in saying that any attack against the convoy would be suicide.  Just like at this moment, any attack against the garrison would result in defeat as well."

John smiled at Krant.  "Stop with the negative waves, man.  You got to think positive thoughts."

Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, John sighed.  "Krant, what's the easiest and quickest way to get from the spaceport to the garrison?"

Not understanding where John was going with his question, he answered anyway.  "The quickest and easiest way is the Ryota Mountain Pass.  It goes from the garrison all the way down to the foot of the mountain range.  But only an absolute fool would use that path to get to the garrison.  Even a Peacekeeper commander would not be stupid enough to take the most obvious route.  The pass is a perfect setting for an ambush."

John excitedly nodded his head, "Exactly!  Any commander worth his salt wouldn't take that path, because it would be the most obvious way to go.  So what's he gonna do if he can't use the pass?"  Not waiting for an answer, John continued.  "He'll make what he considers to be the obvious choice and take a harder, longer, but ultimately safer route to the garrison.  Right?"

Krant nodded his head in reluctance, still confused as to what John's point was.  Again John continued excitedly, "See, this is where D'argo's brilliance comes into play.  He got me thinking.  What would it take to wipe out that convoy?  And then I saw the pass, and you're right Krant, it is the perfect setting for an ambush."

John stopped talking and looked at everyone with a smug and proud look on his face.  The look vanished though when he saw that everyone was still totally confused.  Exasperated, he sighed again.  "Don't you see?  What would it take to make a smart, careful, proper Peacekeeper commander do something totally stupid?"  John still saw blank looks.  "We attack the garrison!  If we attack the garrison with everything that we already have in place, and I do mean everything, we remove the convoy leader's choice.  We force him to take the pass or else he risks losing the garrison, and if the Peacekeepers lose the garrison then they lose the war.  And no self respecting Peacekeeper is going to risk losing a war because he was being too careful."

John stopped talking and waited for a response.  Krant looked deep in thought, as did both Juli and Aeryn.  Krant finally spoke up, "I will admit that your idea does have merit.  However, the fact of the matter is that we will not have enough troops to attack both targets.  We don't even have enough to attack the garrison."

John's good mood did not falter at Krant's negative response.  "Sure we do.  Toben, how many people do we have here?  At the base?"

Toben reached into his extensive memory and pulled out the figure.  "There are currently 1,500 personnel occupying the base.  Of them only 500 are combat personnel."

John had an almost intense desire to stick his tongue out at Krant, now that he had proven him wrong.  "You see, 500 people.  That's more than enough to attack the convoy."

Krant started stuttering, something he never did, "A-a-attack the convoy?  There are over twenty thousand Peacekeepers in that convoy.  We'd be outnumbered 40-to-1.  That is the most completely fahrbot thing that I think I've ever heard you say."

John just smiled at Krant.  "You're thinking too small, Krant.  You need to think big.  Look at that pass; it's the perfect spot for an ambush.  You don't need a large force to do a lot of damage."

Krant still wasn't convinced, "John, you can't be serious.  We won't succeed."

John's smile faded and frustration set in.  "What choice do we have?  This is our only chance.  If that convoy makes it to the garrison, then we will lose this war.  I won't let that happen.  I made a promise, and I always keep my promises.  We will attack both targets; it's the only way.  Now stop arguing with me and telling me what we can't do and start telling me what we can do."

John could still see the doubt on Krant's face.  John needed Krant, the primes looked up to him as much as they did to John.  If John was going to succeed in his plan, he needed their support.

John decided to try another tactic on Krant as he moved to retake his seat.  "Did I ever tell you about the Spartans, Krant"

Krant got a confused look on his face, "The who?"

John just kept talking, "I thought not.  Anyway, the Spartans were a group of warriors on my planet thousands of years, uh cycles, ago.  In a way they were a lot like the Peacekeepers.  Since they were children they were trained to be soldiers, and they were good at.  They were considered to be the best soldiers on the entire planet during their time.  Anyways, unlike the Peacekeepers they didn't go along imposing their will on everyone.  Oh sure they weren't angels, but as long as you left them alone, they didn't bother you.  Which was a good thing, because everyone was afraid of them."

John could see that he had Krant's undivided attention, as well as everyone else in the room.  "Of course not everyone took the Spartans seriously.  There was this guy called Xerxes who was the king of Persia, and he wanted to conquer the Spartans and everyone else in Greece.  As you can imagine, the Spartans weren't too happy about that and they decided to do something about it.  They sent three hundred of their best soldiers, as well as their own king, to face the Persians."

John paused in his telling to take a drink from a pitcher of water that was always kept in the conference room.  "Now the Spartans weren't alone, they had about 3,000 allies, but everyone knew that the Spartans were the ones who would carry the brunt of the battle.  They picked a spot in the path of the advancing enemy, a pass much like the one in the Ryota Mountains, called Thermopilye and waited for the Persians.  The Persian army was huge, they had over a million soldiers, and the allied forces waiting for them barely went over three thousand."

Again John stopped, but this time he was interrupted by Krant.  "A million soldiers?  I doubt that your Spartans lasted very long.  And I see where you're going with this John, but I think that the situations are a little different."

John shook his head emphatically, "Let me finish my story Krant.  Now as I was saying, the Persian army attacked the Spartans in that mountain pass, and they were defeated.  They sent wave after wave of men and every time they were defeated.  Thousands of soldiers died on that first day, and only a few Spartans were killed.  As I said the Spartans were the best, and they were proving it to the Persians.  On the second day the Persian army attacked again, and again they were defeated.  The Spartans would not die.  Their allies were being wiped out, but they always held their ground.  By the end of the second day, the allied forces were down to only a few hundred.  The Spartans and a group of their allies who refused to leave their side.  On the third day, the Spartans knew that they were going to die, but they had to buy as much time as possible for their other allies to prepare for the oncoming enemy.  So they waited for the Persians, and fought to the last man, even defeating the Persians' special Imperial Guard.  Three hundred men held off one million enemy soldiers with nothing more than swords and spears.  I think that we can do the same with some pulse rifles and a little more men."

John leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face.  Several of the primes were nodding their heads in agreement with him.  And John could even see some of Krant's resolve weakening.

Juli, who was still standing next to John, asked a question.  "So is that it?  What happened?"

John looked surprised by the question, "What?  You mean the war?  Because of the amount of time it took the Persians to defeat the Spartans, the Greek allies were able to coordinate their forces and prepare for the Persians.  The Athenian navy surprised the Persian navy and wiped them out, cutting off the Persians' line of reinforcement and supply.  A few months later the Persians were defeated by a large group of Greeks, led by the remaining Spartans again.  They annihilated the Persians.  So you see, a small force can defeat a much larger force."

Krant nodded his head reluctantly, "I suppose so.  But I have no desire to be, how do you say it, 'wiped out'."

John laughed, "Believe me Krant, neither do I.  But I mean, come on, if a few hundred inferior humans can defeat one million enemy soldiers, then five hundred Sebaceans and Rotarians should be able to beat twenty thousand Peacekeepers.  They won't know what hit them.  Besides, I still got my staff, and we all know how much damage that thing can cause."

Krant smiled, "Trying to appeal to my pride, uh?  Well it worked.  You're right, they won't know what hit them."

John hated being in this position.  It was hell on the knees, and he certainly wasn't getting any younger.  At the moment John was crouched behind a large rocky outcropping, along with about thirty others, waiting for the Peacekeeper convoy to come up the pass.

The attack on the garrison by the Rystalva's forces had started over two arns ago, and if the Peacekeepers truly did care about saving it, their convoy would be arriving any microt now.

The five hundred soldiers that John had brought with him were lined up all along the pass.  Some were hidden up on the mountains, while some were down on the pass itself.  John, Aeryn, Juli, and the other thirty people were one of the groups waiting in the mountains.  It had been decided that half the force would take the high ground while the rest attacked from the ground.  John hoped being attacked from multiple directions would confuse the Peacekeepers.

The planning for the attack had been extensive, but brief.  They couldn't afford to waste any time.  Krant, Toben, and D'argo would lead the attack on the garrison, which they hoped would force the Peacekeeper convoy to use the Ryota Mountain Pass.  That was where John came in.  He had wanted to personally lead the attack on the convoy; it was his crazy idea after all.

Everyone had objected, especially Aeryn and Juli, but John had stayed firm in his decision.  Eventually, Aeryn and Juli had caved and demanded that they go with him.  It seemed to John that both women had finally found something that they had in common.  John had briefly thought about sending Aeryn with D'argo, but had reconsidered when he realized that if he tried to send Aeryn away he'd probably end up dead before the battle had even begun.

Both women were staying so close to John that he couldn't move more than three feet without them following him.  Under normal circumstances, if such a thing existed in the Uncharted Territories, John would have been very happy having two very beautiful women so interested in him, but at the moment it was really getting on his nerves.  It was one of John's pet peeves, being treated like he couldn't wipe his own ass without help.

John moved his right hand down into his pocket to finger the small metal cylinder resting there.  The R'yclava staff was an essential part of John's plan.  In fact, when John thought long and hard on the plan, it was the only thing that was going to give them any chance of victory.  It was John's job to make sure that the Peacekeepers were hit hard and were hit fast.  He was to fire into the Peacekeeper convoy, and since he knew how much damage the staff could cause, he knew that there wouldn't be much left of the convoy when he was finished.  

Despite the fact that John knew that what they were about to do had been his plan, and that they had to do it, John was more than a little uneasy about attacking the convoy.  John was about to become a killer of thousands of people.  Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly a foreign feeling for him.  He had done the same thing, only two cycles ago when he had destroyed Scorpius's Gammack base.  John hated the fact that he was becoming all too comfortable with killing people.  But John knew that he needed to do this.  Millions of people depended on him and the Rystalva to succeed today.

The comm on John's jacket activated and three low pulses could be heard.  That was the signal that John had been waiting for.  It was the signal that meant the Peacekeeper convoy was on its way up the pass.  It would only be a few microts before the convoy reached the Rystalva's position.

John looked at the others to make sure that they all heard the signal.  Both Aeryn and Juli were checking their pulse rifles.  They had been given specially modified pulse rifles, built specifically for shooting long-range targets.  Their job was to cover John while he exposed himself to use his staff.  That had been the most dangerous part of the plan, at least for John.  Because of the staff's violent recoil, John knew that he would need a spot that he could fire repeatedly from without having to constantly get up from being knocked on his ass.  Unfortunately the only spot with a good line of sight to the pass was also partially out in the open.  He would have to sit on a little ledge, with a rock going up at an angle that allowed him to brace his feet against and allow his back to take the impact.  He would at least stay upright be able to fire repeatedly.

John stopped crouching and moved to his firing spot.  He took the R'yclava out of his pocket and extended it to its full height.  Before he got all the way to his spot, he was grabbed from behind and turned around.  Aeryn was standing in front of him, looking very unsure of herself.  She looked like she was making some kind of decision.  Finally, she seemed to shake off her indecision, and she brought him closer to her and then kissed him.

John was so overcome with shock that he didn't initially respond, but he soon got overcame his surprise and began kissing her back.  For a brief moment he forgot every problem between them, and just lived in the moment.  It had been so long since he had felt her warm lips against his that he wanted to savor it.  

After about twenty microts, Aeryn broke off the kiss and gave John a shy smile.  "I just wanted to do that, before…well you know."

John had a huge grin on his face, "I am coming back you know.  I have no intention of dying out there."

Aeryn smile faded but she didn't look angry or ashamed, just concerned.  "I know that, but I still wanted to."

She then turned around and walked back to her spot next to Juli, who was trying to act like she hadn't seen the kiss but was failing miserably.  John just shook his head, the smile still plastered on his face, and moved onto his ledge.

John's attitude grew more serious as he readied himself for the coming battle.  He braced his staff up against the wall of the mountain, so that it was facing down and waited for the convoy.  John was just grateful that the Peacekeepers couldn't use air units to bring in the reinforcements; the mountains were too dangerous for that.

 Finally, after what seemed like forever, John's ears began picking up the sounds of twenty thousand Peacekeepers walking toward him.

Captain Harm Brevel was not used to being on the ground.  In fact Brevel hated being planet side.  There was just something so dirty and uncivilized about a planet, especially a planet infested with an inferior alien species.  It was the reason why Brevel had become a starship captain, so he wouldn't have to deal with the kind of situations he was currently finding himself in.

Since he was the most senior of the three captains, he had taken command of the Peacekeeper reinforcement convoy.  While he had little practical experience leading troops in a terrestrial campaign, he had gone through the training.  He would have never made it to captain if he hadn't.

Unfortunately for the Peacekeepers, the convoy might have stood a chance if someone with more experience had commanded them.  Instead they had Brevel, and when Brevel heard the plea for help coming from the Peacekeeper garrison in the Ryota Mountains, he had done the only thing that he felt he could do.  He directed the convoy to take the Ryota Mountain Pass, knowing full well how dangerous it was, but feeling that he had no choice.

If he had been a better commander, he might have noticed how unusually calm the mountains were and might have questioned why his communications techs were picking up strange comm signals, instead he ignored those tell tale signs and led his men as quickly as he could up the pass.

Brevel knew that he could not fail in saving the garrison.  If the garrison fell, then the Peacekeepers would be defeated on Rotar, and High Command would not be pleased.  And when High Command was not happy they tended to take it out on the one most visibly responsible for the defeat.  In other words, they punished the person in charge.  Brevel had no intention of letting his career getting ruined.

So far the convoy had been making good time, considering all the equipment they were carrying.  There would be no point in reinforcing the garrison if they couldn't resupply it as well.  But Brevel knew that they needed to be faster.  They had just received another transmission from the garrison saying that the enemy had breached two of their outer walls and that there was heavy fighting inside the compound.

Thankfully they were coming upon a relatively flat portion of the pass.  Brevel had been told that the flat ground would last for about five metras, which would allow the convoy to make up some lost time.

At the moment, Brevel and his command staff were near the front of the column.  Brevel had wanted a look for himself of the terrain.  They had come upon one of the narrower portions of the pass.  There were high walls on both sides, with lots of ledges, rocks, and what looked like caves lining the pass and the walls.  Brevel had thought it might be the perfect spot for an ambush, so he had made sure that everyone in the column was on high alert.

They had made it half way through the narrow portion of the pass when all hell broke lose.  A large blast of pulse energy struck the ground at the front of the column, vaporizing the ten men that had been near the blast when it hit.  A huge crater, roughly the size of a Marauder, appeared as dirt, body parts and other material rained down on Brevel and his staff.

The men near the front immediately spread out, trying to place as much space between each other as the narrow confines of the pass would allow.  Another blast hit the wall of the mountain near Brevel, creating a huge hole and sending out flying shards of rock that sliced into any person unfortunately close enough to be affected.  Brevel was thrown to his feet.

Another blast hit the convoy farther down, causing even more damage than the first two had, taking out a sizable chunk of soldiers.  Soon smaller pulse blasts started raining down on the Peacekeepers, this time taking out individual Peacekeepers.  Peacekeepers were falling all over the place.  One Peacekeeper that had been standing next to Brevel had his head blown off, while another was shot in the chest.

Brevel finally saw where the all the fire was coming from.  Up ahead, through the haze of smoke and flying debris, he could make out figures moving around.  He also saw people moving about along the walls of the mountains.

Brevel was dazed and he was finding it hard to see with all the blood in his face, but that didn't stop him from reaching down to his thigh and pulling out his pulse pistol.  He carefully crawled to a group of crumpled bodies, and using them as cover, began firing down the pass at the people who had ambushed him.  He saw one of his shots hit someone, and he felt a brief flash of satisfaction.

Soon the Peacekeepers nearest the fighting began following Brevel's example and started returning fire.  Peacekeepers from the rear of the convoy, those not attacked yet, started moving closer to the fighting and were joining in.  The Peacekeepers were beginning to give as good as they got.

Brevel was just starting to think that maybe things were starting to turn around when he heard the sound of what he assumed was a frag cannon firing.  Nothing else that he knew of could produce the kind of firepower that whatever weapon was being used was producing.  Brevel looked over his shoulder to see where the blast hit and saw another huge crater, where some of the Peacekeepers from the rear had been grouping together.  Brevel needed to find that cannon, it was decimating his men.

Brevel slowly began moving forward, using dead bodies as cover, until he reached the first crater that had been created.  He lowered himself into the smoking crater, ignoring the searing heat.  Once he was hidden in the crater he surveyed the walls of the mountains, trying to see if he could spot where the blasts were coming from.

When the cannon fired again, Brevel tracked the angle of the blast and looked up into what he hoped was the right direction.  What he saw surprised him.  The cannon wasn't a cannon after all, but was a Sebacean holding some kind of staff.  Brevel could not believe that such a relatively small weapon could produce such devastating fire.  However, why the staff was able to produce so much firepower wasn't an issue that he should be worrying about.  Brevel knew that the techs would have plenty of time to study it when he killed its owner.

Brevel lined up his pulse pistol with the Sebacean who was oblivious to him as he was too busy concentrating on the Peacekeepers behind Brevel.  Just as Brevel was about to fire, and silence that cannon forever, one of the staff's blasts hit the wall of the mountain again sending out deadly flying shrapnel.  A piece of shrapnel hit Brevel in his arm just as he fired, throwing off his aim and causing the pulse blast to bounce harmlessly off the wall next to the man's head.  

Brevel looked down at his arm and noticed that there was a piece of rock about the size of his hand imbedded in his bicep.  The wound was bleeding profusely, and Brevel knew that if he didn't take care of the wound soon, he would most likely die.  But Brevel couldn't leave until he stopped that Sebacean.  Brevel picked up his pulse pistol in his left arm.  He wasn't as good a shot as he was with his right, but he was more than able to still hit his target.

He again lined up the man in his sights, but unfortunately he never got the chance to fire.  A pulse blast hit him in the face less than a microt after Brevel recognized the blast as coming from a special, long-range pulse rifle.

As Brevel's lifeless body fell to the bottom of the crater, the battle still raged on.

"Get down!"

D'argo dropped to the ground as two pulse blasts sailed over the space his body used to occupy, and hit two Peacekeepers who had been sneaking up on D'argo from behind.  

The person who had just saved D'argo's life was already gone, moving on to find more targets.  D'argo got off the ground and started to follow her.  They were both heading deeper into the garrison, as the fighting had moved from outside the compound to inside. 

It had been awhile since D'argo had seen anybody that he recognized.  He had been separated from Krant and Toben after the Rystalva's forces had breached the outer walls of the garrison.  He had joined a mixed group of Sebaceans and Rotarians, and had managed to stay with them until they had all been killed in a grenade blast.  How D'argo had managed to walk away still in one piece still amazed him.  

Since then, he had been moving from one group to the next helping as much as he could.  Right now he was following the woman that had saved his life.  She too had been separated from her unit and had been searching for them since she had met D'argo.  D'argo was staying with her until she found her unit, and then he would go and find someone else who needed his help.

It wasn't as if Toben or Krant needed his help in leading the attack.  D'argo had learned fairly quickly that both Rotarian males were quite adept at military strategy.  Besides, D'argo liked this more.  He liked fighting and he certainly loved shooting stuff.  This was what he was good at.

D'argo stopped thinking when he noticed the woman ahead of him abruptly stop.  She held up her hand, and D'argo moved towards her as quietly as he could.  When he got close enough, he whispered, "What?"

Without turning to face him, the woman whispered back.  "Peacekeepers.  Three of them around the corner."

D'argo nodded his head and gripped his Qualta blade tighter.  He had long since transformed it into its rifle configuration.  D'argo whispered, "I will distract them long enough for you to kill them."

The woman just nodded her head in assent, and brought her pulse rifle into firing position.  D'argo rather liked the woman standing next to him.  She didn't argue, or contradict him like his shipmates did.  She seemed to recognize his obvious prowess in battle and deferred to him.

Gathering himself, D'argo let out a deafening growl and leaped out from around the corner.  The surprised Peacekeepers turned around, bringing their weapons up as they did, but unfortunately they were too slow.  D'argo fired twice at the Peacekeeper on the left, hitting him once in the shoulder and once in the stomach.  D'argo then fired at the one in the middle, while the woman fired twice at the one on the right.  All three shots hit their targets, and all three Peacekeepers fell to the ground.

D'argo looked over at the woman and smiled a smile of thanks, before moving down the hall to make sure the Peacekeepers were dead.  He hadn't checked the last time, and he had a scorch mark on his tunic where one of the Peacekeepers that he had thought had been dead had shot him.  D'argo was not about to make the same mistake twice.  The woman covered him as he did.

Fortunately, all three Peacekeepers were dead and D'argo and the woman continued to move down the hall.  As they were walking down the hall, D'argo turned his head to face the woman.  "You know in all this time, I haven't asked you your name.  I would like to know what to call you when I say thank you."

The woman briefly turned to look at D'argo, before concentrating on the hallway.  In a low voice she responded to D'argo's question.  "My name is Fyy.  Jayn Fyy."  The woman said nothing more, and D'argo and the woman continued down the hallway in silence.

"John!  Move, Now!"

Not hesitating to question why, John jumped off his ledge and dived to where Aeryn and Juli were crouching behind a rock.  It was a good thing John moved when he did, because a halo of pulse blasts hit the mountain wall where he had been standing.

John got up from his prone position and crawled over to Aeryn.  He risked looking over the rock to see the battle going on down below and did not like what he saw.  The majority of the Peacekeeper convoy was now engaging the Rystalva's forces and things were not going well for the good guys.  John was only down to about half his force.  He had to send about seventy men to the rear of the convoy to prevent the Peacekeepers from retreating.  That depletion, plus the fact that at least a hundred of the Rystalva's fighters had been killed so far, John and the Rystalva were only keeping the Peacekeepers at bay.

The only consolation was that the Peacekeepers had suffered heavy casualties.  John had made sure of that.  With one blast of his staff he could take out twenty men, and he had been firing almost non-stop for almost an arn.  That was until the Peacekeepers had finally gotten a bead on his position.  Aeryn and Juli had done all they could to buy him as much time as possible, but there were just too many Peacekeepers to shoot at.

John knew that something needed to be done or else the Rystalva would be overrun.  What that something needed to be done, John didn't know.  He had been racking his brain for bright ideas, but had drawn a blank.  

John turned to Aeryn and Juli who were taking a break from firing down below.  "Do any of you two have any bright ideas, because I'm running on empty here?"

Both Aeryn and Juli turned to look at each other, and then turned back to face John.  Both of them shook their heads in the negative.  John felt frustration loom up in him again and he felt compelled to look down below again.  He looked down and saw a large column of men moving up, getting closer to the Rystalva fighters down on the ground.  The Peacekeepers were getting braver now that John was no longer firing down below.

John felt the urge to do something about that.  So without really thinking, he abruptly stood up, pointed his staff at the Peacekeeper column and fired.  The pulse blast hit the middle of the column, and bodies went flying everywhere.  The remaining Peacekeepers immediately spread out and started scurrying for cover.  John of course, didn't need to seek cover, because he had been thrown back into the wall of the mountain four feet away.

The impact had been so hard that he had the wind knocked out of him and he was feeling more than a little dizzy.  As if that wasn't enough, he now had to contend with two very pissed off women, who were storming towards him.  Aeryn yanked him too his feet and immediately began to tear into him.  "What the frell did you think you were doing?  I told you to stay down!"

Juli also felt compelled to add, "How could you be so stupid?  You're lucky that they didn't shoot you.  They were just waiting for you to do that."

John shook their hands off and walked back to the boulder that they had been using for cover.  "It had to be done!  They were getting too cocky and needed to be taught a lesson."

Aeryn snorted in derision, "They weren't the only one."

John just ignored her and picked up his staff, and once again stuck his head over the large rock to see what was going on.  He felt a sense of justification at seeing that the Peacekeeper column that was moving toward the Rystalva's forces had been broken up.  If only he could do that more often.  But Juli had been right.  The Peacekeepers were waiting for him, and would still be waiting for him, to stick his ass out there and fire again.  John also knew that they couldn't win if he didn't keep firing down below.

John stuck his head up and surveyed the damage done to the pass.  Any semblance of road was completely gone, as the pass had been shot to hell.  John could see several of his Marauder-size craters all along the road, and along the wall of the mountain.  _Wait a minute, the mountain!_  John did a double take and studied the mountain closely.

Several of his blasts had created huge crater/holes in the face of the mountain.  The entire lower edge of the mountain had been blasted several feet backward, while the upper edge was still at its normal level.  John was hit by a sudden surge of inspiration.  _The armory!_  He could do the same thing to the wall that he had done to the armory.

 John reached to his comm and activated it.  He spoke into it in urgency, "This is Crichton to all Rystalva forces, pull back right now.  Pull back."

John heard the three-pulse acknowledgement and he saw several friendly soldiers begin retreating.  John was about to put his plan into motion when two very confused women turned him around.  "What the frell are you doing John?  We can't retreat now!"

John nodded his head earnestly, and began speaking excitedly to Juli.  "Remember the armory, Juli!  Remember those Peacekeepers that were holding out in the doorway, and I collapsed the building on them.  I can do the same thing here.  That wall is barely holding up.  A few more shots from my staff and I can make the whole freaking mountain come down.  That I'll put an end to those Peacekeepers real quick."

While Juli was no longer confused, Aeryn was still lost.  "What are you talking about?"

Juli just turned to Aeryn and answered, "Don't worry about it.  He knows what he's doing."  Juli then turned back to John and asked, "Do you want us to cover you like last time?"

John answered as he readied his staff, "Yeah, I'm gonna need it.  It'll take me a few shots to do the job this time."

Juli picked up her rifle, and Aeryn did the same.  She was still confused but she trusted John, and she needed to make sure that he stayed safe.  She moved next to Juli and readied herself.  She needed to be calm and collected if she was going to cover John.

John moved over to his ledge, took several deep breaths, and jumped out into the open.  Waiting only long enough to make sure that his feet were firmly set, he began firing as fast as he could at the mountain face.  He could see that his blasts were working as several cracks began spreading up the wall of the mountain.  

John was amazed that he had not been hit yet, but he shouldn't have been surprised.  After all Aeryn and Juli were the best shots he had ever seen, and the long-range rifles only amplified their abilities.

John was about half way done when he felt a sharp pain in his left leg.  He had been hit.  _I guess I spoke too soon_.  John didn't let the shot slow him down though, he continued pouring blast after blast into the wall of the mountain.  _Just a few more!_  

After what seemed like being out there for an eternity, John could hear a loud cracking sound.  The mountain face was starting to break up.  Rocks and pieces of the mountain began falling down on top of the Peacekeepers.  Soon entire slabs of the mountain were coming down.

Peacekeepers were scrambling, trying to get out of the way, but to no avail.  All the Peacekeepers that had been closest to the falling mountain were crushed, and any Peacekeeper not immediately crushed was too busy trying to get out of the way to worry about John.

John limped off the ledge over to Aeryn and Juli who were both looking at him with concern.  John just waved his hand in dismissal, "Don't worry, I'm fine.  It's just a flesh wound."  John then promptly collapsed, unconscious.

D'argo and his companion, Jayn Fyy, had finally found Krant and Toben and their command group.  They had found each other in the heart of the garrison, the command and control area.

The Rystalva's forces had just stormed the control room, killing everyone inside.  Krant and Toben had been studying their new conquest when D'argo had ran into the Rystalvan guards posted outside.

D'argo and Jayn had gone inside and were greeted with looks of relief upon the two Rotarians' faces.  Toben had voiced his concern, "Thank the Rystal that you're okay.  John would not have forgiven me if anything had happened to you.  What happened to you anyway?"

D'argo waited until he had sat down before answering, "I don't really know, somehow I got separated from you when we attacked the compound's walls.  Speaking of John, how are things going on his end."

This time it was Krant who spoke, with a look of worry on his face.  "Juli Fallon informed us that they had successfully defeated the Peacekeepers.  But that John had been wounded in the attack.  He is currently being rushed to our base as we speak."

Krant was interrupted by D'argo leaping to his feet.  "Is he all right?  I must leave at once."

"Ka'D'argo wait!  John Crichton is unconscious but our doctors believe that he will be all right.  He is in no danger."

That seemed to stall D'argo but he was still very antsy.  "That may be so, but I would like to see him regardless.  I will head back to the base with the first batch of wounded."

He then began moving toward the exit, when Jayn spoke up.  "I'll go with you.  I have extensive medical training, I may be of service."

D'argo smiled at the female Sebacean.  "Of course.  You're company would be much appreciated."

D'argo and Jayn then left Toben and Krant to their new toy, and left to find his friend.

John awoke with a pounding headache.  He hadn't felt this bad since the last time he had been shot, which unfortunately was only a few monens ago.  Still, it felt good to be alive.  That much John was sure of.

John slowly sat up in the bed he was lying in and saw a mane of dark black hair laying on a desk.  Attached to that hair was the person he had hoped would be waiting for him when he woke up.  Aeryn was sitting on the only chair in his room, and was laying her head on top of his desk.  As far as John could tell she was asleep, and he had no desire to wake her.

Unfortunately, he really needed to use the bathroom, and he didn't think he could make it to the room on his own.  So very gently he nudged Aeryn's arm, hoping to wake her quietly. 

Almost immediately those Peacekeeper reflexes kicked in and Aeryn bolted upright.  She quickly turned to face John and the look of happiness at seeing him awake warmed his heart.  She practically leaped at him, wrapping him in a hug.  She began mumbling excitedly, "You're awake.  Thank Chulack that you're awake.  I was starting to worry that you might never wake up."

John really could get use to this, having Aeryn draped all over his body.  But he really needed to use the facilities.  He gently pried Aeryn away, so that she wouldn't get the wrong idea, and looked her in the eye.  "Uh Aeryn, as much as I enjoy having you throw yourself at me, I really need to go to the bathroom."

Aeryn blushed a deep red.  John thought it was really cute when she was embarrassed.  "Of course John.  Let me help you."

Aeryn then stood up and grabbed John's arm.  She pulled him till he was upright and then wrapped her arm around his waist, taking all the weight off his injured leg.  They moved to the door of his quarters and opened it.  They stepped out and were assaulted by a flying Nebari.

Chiana immediately began mumbling much the same way Aeryn had.  "John!  I was beginning to get worried.  But I knew that you'd wake up.  Nothing can stop you."

John moved his free hand down and ruffled Chiana's hair, "Thanks for the confidence Pip."

John then noticed that there were two other people standing in the hallway.  Juli and D'argo were looking at John with relief.  "Big D!  Good to see you alive, man.  So how did things go?"

D'argo's gruff voice answered John, "We won John.  We took the garrison and your plan stopped the convoy.  Leave it to John Crichton to destroy a mountain to accomplish his goals.  Don't you ever think small?"

John laughed at D'argo's joke, "No way man, where's the fun in that.  You know what they say, if you can't bring the Peacekeepers to the mountain, you bring the mountain to the Peacekeepers."

Everyone looked at John strangely, but they laughed anyways.  "Look guys, as much as I enjoy this joyous celebration of my continued survival, I really need to use the bathroom."

Chiana, stopped hugging John and moved away.  "Okay John, but as soon as you finish, we got a party that needs starting."

John just smiled as he and Aeryn moved down the hall and toward the bathroom.

The party celebrating the Rystalva's victory over the Peacekeepers was in full swing.  At the moment, John, Aeryn, D'argo, and just about everyone else was in the Coliseum celebrating.  There was lots of eating and drinking going on, and John was gorging himself on both.

John felt, as much as everyone else, that he deserved this and he wanted to savor it.  He wanted to eat, drink and be merry.  He was tired of being responsible and just wanted to relax and spend some quality time with his friends.

Unfortunately, the Universe is not kind to John Crichton, and it decided to interfere on his good time.  This time it did so in the form of one very beautiful Peacekeeper captain.

Lorana had walked up to him and pulled him away from the crowd.  He was still hurting, but he could limp his way around now.  Once they were away from everyone else Lorana began speaking, "I hate to interrupt you to John, but I have received an urgent message from my father.  He needs to speak to you alone, and he needs to speak to you now."

John sighed, "Can't this wait?"

Lorana placed a comforting hand on John's arm, "I'm sorry John, but my father insisted."

John gave up trying to refuse and just went with the flow.  "Alright.  I'm assuming that I'm to take the call in the comm room?"

Lorana nodded her head, "Yes John."

John and Lorana then left the Coliseum, and walked to the comm. room.  It took awhile for them to get there because of John's leg, which gave John a lot of time to think.  He knew that the war wasn't over, and he had a sinking feeling that whatever the admiral wanted to talk to him about it was only going to confirm that feeling.

When they got there, Lorana stopped outside the room and John went in on his own.  On the main view port was an image of Admiral Ev Bach.  John wasted no time in starting off.

"You wanted to speak to me, Admiral?"  John asked the man in the viewport in front of him.

 Bach had a very solemn look on his face.  "I'm afraid I have some bad news John.  I have just received a communication transmission from Peacekeeper High Command.  They are sending a full Peacekeeper battle fleet to Rotar, and I am to assume command as soon as it arrives."

John's smile abruptly disappeared.  The high that he had been on from the Rystalva's impressive defeat of the Peacekeepers disappeared as well.  "A full Peacekeeper fleet?"

The admiral nodded his head stiffly, "Yes John, a full fleet.  Nine command carriers, twenty cruisers and other light assault ships, and their requisite support ships."  The admiral paused before telling John the real bad news, "But John, that's not all.  The fleet also contains over one million troops."

John felt his knees give way underneath him and he had to sit down.  He croaked out, "A million soldiers?"

"Yes John.  High Command is not happy.  You have caused a lot of trouble for them.  You have defeated the Peacekeepers on Rotar, rebellions have sprung up on other worlds in this sector, but most importantly, you have embarrassed the Peacekeepers and that is something they cannot allow.  The fleet will arrive in four solar days, and when they do, they will send down their troops and kill everyone on this planet.  They will make a lesson out of Rotar.  Showing the other worlds that nobody can win against the Peacekeepers.  We cannot allow that to happen."

John nodded his head dumbly.  He was still in shock.  "We will fight them.  We've done it before, and we can do it again."

Bach just stared at John like he was crazy.  "I'm sorry John, but I don't think so.  The people of Rotar have shown a remarkable talent for killing Peacekeepers, but not even they will be a match for over one million, battle hardened Peacekeeper troops.  The fleet will blast this planet from orbit, and then send in the troops to destroy whatever resistance is left.  They will not stop until the people of this planet are nothing more than forgotten memories."

John let frustration enter his voice, "What the frell are we supposed to do then?"

Bach took a deep breath before answering.  He had thought long and hard about that very question ever since he had received the transmission from High Command.  He had come up with an answer, but it was an answer that he knew that John was not going to like.  It was an answer that he didn't like as well, but he knew that if they didn't do what he was about to suggest, then over one billion people on the planet of Rotar would be dead by the end of the weeken.

Bach stared directly into John's eyes as he answered John's question.  He respected John too much to do anything else.  "As you know, John, Rotar is less than two light years from Scarren territory."

John leapt off the chair he was sitting on and interrupted the admiral rather loudly.  "Oh, hell no.  I know where you're going with this and it's out of the question."

Bach replied excitedly, "It is the only way John.  I can think of no other way of getting rid of that fleet.  The alternative is the death of everyone on Rotar."

John angrily growled out, "Yeah, and if we do what you're talking about, it could mean the deaths of billions of people throughout the galaxy.  I will not have that on my conscience."

Bach was growing angry himself.  "Frell your conscience John.  If we don't do anything, it **will** mean the death of a billion people.  People you know, people you care about.  Do you want that on your conscience?"

John shouted at Bach, "You're talking about starting a war with the Scarrens!  Christ the Scarrens are even worse than the Peacekeepers."

Bach calmed down visibly before responding, "I know that John, but we don't have much choice.  Yes, it will most likely start a war between the Peacekeepers and the Scarrens, but a war has been inevitable between the two for some time now.  We will just be speeding up the process."

"And what's to stop the Scarrens from coming after Rotar after they destroy that fleet.  The only reason why the Scarrens have not already attacked this planet is because of the Peacekeepers."  John asked the admiral defiantly.  He did not want to give into what the admiral was saying.

The admiral acknowledged John's statement with a nod of his head.  "That is true John, but it is a risk we will have to take.  If we do nothing, that risk will become a certainty."

John refused to give in.  "Fine, you know what?  You make the decision; I want nothing to do with it.  If you want to start a war, then go ahead, but leave me out of it."

Bach spoke softly, "You know I can't do that.  You are in command John; you must make the decision.  I know you think that I am only saying that because I don't want to make the choice, but you are wrong.  Making decisions like this is part of the burden of leadership.  You are the leader of these people, John.  You must make this decision for them.  They have trusted you with their lives, you cannot betray them now by passing that trust onto someone else."

John saw the truth in Bach's words but he didn't want to admit that to himself.  He wished he had never come to this planet.  He just had to get away; he had to think about what he was going to do.  There was no way he could make the decision right now.

John turned his back on the viewport, his head down in thought.  He began to walk away when he heard the admiral speak in a worried tone.  "What are you doing John?"

Without turning around John answered, "I need to think about this.  You'll have your answer in two arns."  With that said, John walked out of the comm room and headed deeper into the complex.  The hallways echoed the sentiments of his heart: dark, oppressing, and bleak.  John Crichton had never felt so bad in his entire life.  The decision he was about to make would decide the fate of billions of people, and John didn't know what to do.

Side Note: I want to apologize for taking so long to update, but school has been a bitch.  Damn physics is sucking up all my time like a black hole sucks up all the mass around it.  Haha, little physics analogy for you.  See!  I'm spending so much time with physics, that I'm even making stupid little analogies about it in my everyday life.  Aarrg!  Oh well, at least my lab partner is hot.

            Anyways, the next chapter will be the final full-length chapter.  It will contain many things, least of all wrapping up loose ends with regards to the story.  I would like to pose a question to all the dutiful readers out there: what should John's decision be with regards to the Scarrens?  I honestly haven't decided which way to go on this question yet, and would like your feedback.  Naturally, the decision not to bring in the Scarrens would make the ending considerably harder to write, but I'm up to the challenge if you are.

            Once again, Chapter 14 will take a while to post.  So be patient.  It will come eventually; it might just take some time.  Please give me feedback!  I need to know if this trilogy is worth continuing, if anyone is going to want to keep reading.  Let me know.  Bye for now, see you in a few weeks.

PS.  Oh, just in case anyone has been trying to e-mail me, I apologize if you haven't gotten a response.  I have been having major problems with my computer, least of which is the e-mail being on the fritz.  I have no idea when it will be fixed, so don't send me any e-mails because they won't get responded to.


	14. Necessary Evil

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**Author's Note:** I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated.  Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism.  A Special thanks to paz, you're reviews are very much appreciated.  They are some of the nicest compliments anyone has ever given me with regards to my writing.  I'm glad you like my story, and look forward to anymore input you might have.  Thank you!

**Second Author's Note:** A special shout out goes to Norsk, whose comment brought much contemplation to my mind.  While I think that just about everyone with a Y chromosome would appreciate and agree with your idea of the girls sharing John, I don't think the other half of the population would appreciate it that much.  Although I could be wrong.  Besides, I really don't think that Aeryn is the sharing type; it's just not in her personality, especially when it comes to John.  So unfortunately, John's going to have to become a one-woman man.  I know that it sucks, but what are you going to do?

**Third Author's Note:** This is the last main chapter of this part.  There will be a rather short epilogue, and then I must decide whether or not to continue this story onto part two.  Feedback would be a major incentive to do so.  Please, I really need to know if anyone is interested.  This story is very time consuming, and while I enjoy writing it, I don't want to waste my time writing a story no one will read.

**Fourth Author's Note:** The main action sequence for this part, the battle between the Scarrens and the Peacekeepers, came partly from a great sci-fi book series.  _The Last Legion_, written by Chris Bunch, was a great source of inspiration for me.  While the man is certainly no Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, or Isaac Asimov (that's not to say that he's a bad writer, because he's not) he does write the best military combat scenes in a science fiction setting than anyone I've ever seen.  His books are entertaining and humorous and I recommend them to anyone who's a fan of the genre.

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Chapter 14: Necessary Evil

Takes place minutes after the end of _The Three Hundred Spartans_-

            John was lost in thought as he walked down the dark hallway.  Where he was going, he had no idea.  All he knew was that he just needed to get away.  Get away from everything and everyone.

            He had a decision to make.  What his decision was, he didn't know, but he knew that whatever he decided would decide the fate of billions of people.  The enormity of the decision was almost too much for him to grasp.

            Walking down the hallway, he had asked himself what his father would do.  He had thought long and hard on that, and he thought he had come up with an answer.  John knew that his father would make the right decision, and John suspected that he already knew what that decision was.  John just didn't want to think about it.

            Looking up from the ground, John noticed that he had reached the end of the hallway.  He had a choice to make.  He could either go right or left.  Without really thinking about which direction would take him where, John went right.  After a few microts of walking, John found himself near the bridge.  The same bridge where he had discovered how the R'yclava worked and that he was this planet's savior.  John hated the bridge.

            Despite his hatred of the memories the bridge brought forth, John found himself walking forward, across the bridge.  When he was halfway across he stopped and looked towards the mountains.  It was at the moment of twilight, and the planet's sun was just setting behind the mountain range.  Light sprayed over the bridge, and John was able to spot the area where he had fired his staff at the mountain.  He could still see the huge hole blown into the mountain.  

It was a poignant reminder to John of the kind of power that he held.  Not only did he have one of the most powerful weapons he had ever seen, but he also had the knowledge of wormholes in his head, and the power to start a war that would cause the deaths of millions, if not billions of people.

Not for the first time, John wished that he had never came to the planet of Rotar.  John did not want the kind of responsibility that he had been given.  He knew that he was starting to sound like a broken record, but he couldn't help how he felt.  He wasn't qualified enough to make this kind of decision.  He needed help; unfortunately he didn't really know anyone who would understand the kind of pressure he was under.

            John was still staring out at the mountain, even after the sun had set.  There was a slight breeze and he could here a weak whirring sound.  The sound sounded vaguely familiar, but John just shrugged it off.  He figured that he was just hearing some of the base's machinery.  Sound carried awfully well in this part of the mountains.

            However, soon the whirring sound began to get louder.  John could no longer ignore the sound, sure that it wasn't some machinery because the sound was getting louder and closer.  Something was coming towards him.  John began to panic.  He was completely unarmed, he had left both Winona and his staff back in his quarters, and he was still too hurt to make a quick getaway.  

            To make matters worse, John was standing on a bridge, with nowhere to go or hide.  His only escape was to either one of the ends, but he was sure he wouldn't make it to the end in time.  He had to try, though.  He wasn't about to give up.  The fate of everyone on Rotar depended on him.  He turned around and began to limp back the way he had come.

            He had made up about half the distance to the end, when he saw the object of his sudden fears.  John let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding and laughed crazily.  It was only Rygel on his thronesled.  Now John knew where he had heard that whirring noise.

            With a shaky voice, John yelled at Rygel only half-heartedly.  "Jesus Christ Rygel!  You scared the dren out of me.  Don't you know you're not supposed to sneak up on people?"

            Rygel let out an indignant snort as he stopped his sled a few feet in front of John.  "I do not sneak up on people.  If you weren't so deficient you would have heard me coming."

            John let out a sigh at Rygel's insult, "Did you just come out here to insult me Sparky, because if you did, I gotta say that right now is not a good time."

            Rygel's face grew softer and he talked to John in a quiet voice.  "I came out here because I was worried about you Crichton."

            John just stared at Rygel in shock.  He began to sputter in disbelief, "You were worried about me?  I didn't think you cared?"

            Rygel once again looked indignant, "I don't plan to make a habit out of it Crichton.  I saw the way you looked when that Peacekeeper captain talked to you during the party, and I was afraid that you might do something stupid or rash when I saw you leave.  I didn't want to take any chances that what you might do might cause me any problems."

            John just smiled and patted Rygel on the head.  John was just giving Rygel a hard time.  He knew that somewhere inside that hard, green hide of his, Rygel had a soft spot for everyone of his shipmates.  "Ah, Buckwheat, I know you love me.  There's no need to pretend anymore."

            Rygel backed his thronesled away from John after he patted his head.  "Do not touch me human!  And I do not love you.  You're completely fahrbot."

            "Well duh, Sparky.  Everyone knows I'm crazy, we established that a long time ago."

            Rygel was about to respond with an especially vicious remark when he remembered why he had come out here in the first place.  He was letting John get to him, and he need to stay focused.  Rygel had heard the exchange between John and the Peacekeeper admiral.  He was an expert at sneaking around after all.

            Rygel had seen the state John was in after the conversation, and Rygel had felt sorry for John.  Not since Aeryn had died, had Rygel seen John look so defeated.  Rygel did not like it when John looked defeated, because that meant that John didn't care anymore.  And Rygel needed John to care, because more often than not, his continued survival usually depended on John being at one hundred percent.  Just like it did now.

            Rygel understood the thoughts that must have been going through John's mind.  When he had been Dominar, before he had been deposed, he too had faced many of the same kind of decisions.  Being a Dominar meant that he sometimes had to make some hard decisions, decisions that could decide whether someone lived or died.

            Despite his rather lackadaisical attitude with regards to anyone's life, other than his own of course, Rygel had truly cared about the people under his rule.  Just like he did now aboard Moya.  Being a Dominar meant that he had to care.  That was why he was out here with John.  He wanted to help him make the right decision.

            In as even a tone as he could manage, Rygel spoke up.  "John I was there.  I heard everything between you and the Peacekeeper."

            John stared at Rygel before letting out a loud sigh.  "I suppose you came out here to tell me to do what he wants.  Well it's not that easy.  If I agree, billions of people could die."

            Rygel thought carefully before responding, "John, why am I here?"

            John look at Rygel confusedly, "What are you talking about Rygel?  You're here because I asked you to come down and you agreed."

            Rygel nodded his small head, "Exactly, John.  You asked me to come down here to help you because you said you didn't know how to make all the hard decisions.  Well guess what, this is a very hard decision and you need my help.  Unless you've already decided?"

            John shook his head in the negative.  When Rygel saw that he continued, "I thought so.  Everyone on Moya seems to forget that I used to be a Dominar of 600 billion subjects.  I had to make some hard decisions during my rule, but I made them because it was my job."

            John began to talk excitedly, "But that's just it, Sparky.  This isn't my job.  I'm not a Dominar.  I'm just John Crichton: human, astronaut, and sometime space cowboy.  Who am I to make this decision?"

            "Who else is going to make the decision, John?  The admiral was right; the people of this planet have put their trust and their lives in your hands.  You cannot just pass that onto someone else when things become too inconvenient for you."

            John got angry, "What right do I have to make this decision for billions of people?"

            Rygel responded in an equally angry tone, "What right do you have not to?"

            John was silent after that and Rygel took the time to gather himself.  The human could be so stubborn and frustrating sometimes.  "Look John, I know that it's hard.  Making decisions of this kind of magnitude are always difficult, but you have to choose.  You have to look at the situation and decide which choice is best."  

            "But I don't know which choice is best.  I don't know which path to take."

Rygel responded sympathetically, "If not attacking the Scarrens is the best and easiest choice then by all means you should take that path.  However, if it's not, then you must choose the other path.  You must do what is best for your people, not what is best for you.  The Peacekeepers will kill everyone on this planet.  If you attack the Scarrens then you will most likely save everyone on Rotar, but you will start a war."

            John's voice was full of frustration, "I know all this, Rygel!  I don't need you to remind me, I need you to tell me what to do."

            "I can't do that John and you know it.  You're looking for the easy way out.  That is not the John Crichton that I know.  He would never do that, if anything he would be looking for ways to make the decision more difficult.  I know that you are wondering whom you are, if you're John Crichton or if you're some hero.  You shouldn't worry about stuff like that.  You just need to remember that you are John Crichton and not the Rystal.  You need to become the man that you were before you came to this planet."  Rygel finished his impassioned speech and leaned back farther into his thronesled.

            Rygel could only hope that John would come to his senses and make the right decision.  Which was attacking the Scarrens, in Rygel's mind there was no alternative.  Anything else meant death.

            John just turned his head and looked out at the mountains.  Slowly he slid to the ground, bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them.  Not facing Rygel, he started talking.  "Growing up with my father in the space program sometimes made me forget that he used to serve in the military.  In the military they teach you to make the right decision with very little thought.  You're not allowed to hesitate, because every microt that you spend thinking about something means that's one microt more you could come closer to death.  My father used to tell me to trust my hunches, my first thoughts, about something because usually they're right.  I should have done that when I first talked to the admiral, instead I overcomplicated everything and became bogged down by my own feelings.  I should just do what my father told me and fly by the seat of my pants.  Sometimes I really do think too much"

            John then got up and started walking towards the comm room.  Rygel moved his thronesled so that he was just to the right of John and kept pace with him.  "Does this mean that you've come to a decision?"

            John kept walking but turned his head to face Rygel.  He had a slight smile, "Yeah.  I don't know if it's the right one, but it's the only one that I can come up with that makes any kind of sense."

            Rygel snorted, "Nothing you come up with ever makes any sense Crichton."

            John laughed, "Gee thanks Sparky.  But seriously, thanks for your help Rygel.  I don't think I could have done this on my own.  I should have realized that out of everyone you would understand."

            Rygel smiled a haughty smile, "Yes, and don't you forget it John.  I think that my input should be much more influential from now on.  Perhaps now you will realize that when I make suggestions you should actually listen to them."

            "Don't worry Sparky.  I'll try to take you much more serious from now on."

            They walked along in comfortable silence, which shocked John significantly.  He had a whole new sense of respect for the diminutive Dominar.  

            Just as they reached the entranceway to go back inside the base, John turned to Rygel and half-seriously spoke up.  "You know I'm kind of surprised that Aeryn hasn't come looking after me.  Usually she freaks out if she doesn't know where I am for more than ten microts."

            Rygel smiled an evil smile, "Oh don't worry, she is looking for you.  I told her that you left with the Peacekeeper captain so that you could frell her in private.  Suffice it to say, she was not pleased."  When he was finished he quickly zoomed off in his thronesled to get away from John, laughing the whole way.

            John just stared in shock at the retreating Hynerian before the anger in caused him to start after him.  Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as fast as Rygel was in his little thronesled.  He yelled out, "Rygel!"  But Rygel was already gone.  He would have to wait until he talked with the admiral before he could go and find Rygel.

            John walked into the comm room and saw that Lorana was already waiting for him.  She was dressed in her full captain's uniform and seemed to be waiting rather impatiently.  Lorana leapt up out of her chair when John entered the room and began talking in hurried tones.  "Finally.  I was starting to wonder if you were coming back.  My father is very anxious for your answer.  I already have him on standby, so let me bring him up."

            Lorana then moved to one of the control stations and started pressing a few buttons.  When she was finished, the image of her father appeared on the main viewport.  The admiral looked harried, and if it was possible, he looked like he had aged in the time that he had spent waiting.  It looked like John wasn't the only one worried about his answer.

            John walked to the center of the room and faced the admiral.  "With the help of a friend I've come to my decision.  I don't think that we have any choice but to do it your way.  I can see no other way of getting rid of that fleet."

            The admiral nodded solemnly, "I had a feeling that you would come to that decision and so have taken certain…steps to ensure our success."

            John looked at Bach curiously, "What steps would that be?  I'm extremely curious as to how you plan on pulling this off.  The Peacekeepers aren't going to be stupid enough to just wander into Scarren territory on their own."

            Bach smiled a predatory smile, a feral smile.  "Don't worry John.  This is not the first time that I have had to use subterfuge in making an enemy do something that he would not normally do." John felt a shiver run up his back at the admiral's comment and his smile.  John was just glad that the admiral was on his side.

            The admiral then drew himself up to his full height and stood at attention.  A significant amount of pride was in his voice when he spoke.  "I am Special Directorate Fleet Admiral Ev Bach, and the Peacekeepers will do what I say because I tell them too.  Don't worry about anything John.  By the time I am done, that Peacekeeper fleet will be nothing more than a pile of debris floating in space."

            John still looked unconvinced but he trusted the admiral to get the job done.  He obviously knew what he was talking about.

            John saw the admiral take a deep breath.  "Ok, now that we have that out of the way, I would like to talk to my daughter.  Alone."

            John looked at the admiral.  Even though they were millions of metras apart, John could see the acceptance in the admiral's eyes.  He understood.  "Of course Ev.  Thank you for everything."

            John then turned around and walked out of the room.

            Without preamble, Bach began.  Looking his daughter directly in the face, he spoke in a kind and fatherly tone.  "I'm not coming back."

            For one of the few times in her life, Lorana felt her emotions threaten to overwhelm her.  She could barely get out her response, "I know."

            The admiral smiled, "I want you to know that I am very proud of you Lorana.  Despite the many battles that I have won and the many great things that I have accomplished in my long life, you are by far the best thing that I have ever been a part of.  You are a good person and an excellent officer.  I could not have hoped for you to turn out any better."

            Lorana felt a single tear fall down her cheek.  But other than that she showed no emotion.  Her face was passive and calm.  Her father continued, "Help John Crichton.  He will need you and your extensive knowledge of the Peacekeepers.  Stay by him.  He will help you get through this Lorana.  He is a good man, an honorable man.  You will not find a better man to guide you through life."  Bach stopped talking to gain control over his emotions.  He was about to say something that he had never said to her before.  Despite the fact that he was different from other Peacekeepers, some things were hard to change.  "I want you to know Lorana, that I love you.  Since the first time I saw you.  It was the reason why I couldn't give you up."

            Lorana felt another tear slide down her cheek and she gave her father a small smile.  "I knew.  Even though you never said anything, I always knew."

            The admiral answered her smile with a smile of his own.  He just stared into her eyes, trying to convey everything he wanted to tell her through their connection.  After a few microts, he stopped.  He had things that he still needed to do.

            Bach gathered himself and tried to compose himself as best he could.  He began speaking in a commanding tone, "Captain.  As of this moment, I am officially transferring command of this command carrier to you.  You will leave the planet's surface immediately and assume command of your new ship.  I will transfer my flag to one of the command carriers orbiting the planet, and then I will lead all three of them to meet up at the rendezvous point with the Peacekeeper fleet already there.  Once the three command carriers have left orbit you will bring your ship to orbit and assist Crichton in his mopping up of the few remaining Peacekeepers left on the surface.  Remember, he is your superior now.  You will do as he says.  Do you understand your orders, Captain?"

            Lorana snapped to attention and saluted her father.  "Yes sir!"

            Bach softened his tone before continuing, "Good.  I will leave immediately.  Oh, there is a vid chip that I want you to give to Crichton.  Make sure that he watches it, as it is very important."

            "Of course, sir."

            Bach smiled at his daughter one last time before his image disappeared from the viewport.  Lorana felt her knees weaken and she sat down in a chair.  She began crying as the knowledge that she was about to lose the only person that she had ever cared about hit her full force.  Her sobs echoed across the room.

            As soon as John stepped out of the door and into the hallway leading away from the comm room, he found himself face to face with a very beautiful, but very angry Sebacean.  John cringed.  He was not looking forward to their confrontation.

            "There you are!  Where the frell have you been?  I've looked all over for you."

            John backed away from Aeryn's quickly advancing form.  "Look, Aeryn I can explain about the thing with Lorana.  It's not what you think."

            A look of confusion appeared on Aeryn's face.  "What the frell are you talking about John?"

            John looked confused as well.  "You know…about what Sparky said.  He told me that you were pissed at me."

            Understanding appeared on Aeryn's face, as did a small smile.  "Oh, that.  You don't really think that I believed what that slug told me do you?"

            John still backed away.  He didn't trust this new change in Aeryn's attitude to let her get any closer.  He still had rather nasty memories from the last time she got angry with him.  "Well it's just that after what happened last time, I kind of assumed that well you know…you were going to hurt me."

            Aeryn sighed.  She knew that there was still a lot of damage between both of them that needed to be repaired.  "John, what happened last time was a huge mistake.  I hate making mistakes, and you know that I don't make the same mistake twice.  I learned my lesson the last time not to jump to any conclusions before I talked to you first.  Besides, I figured if you could hold out for three monens with that tralk practically begging you to frell her, I could trust in you not to do anything with that captain who you've only know for a few days."

            John smiled at Aeryn, but then he looked confused again.  "We'll if your not mad about what Rygel said, then why do you look so pissed?"

            Some of Aeryn's anger crept back into her voice.  She growled out, "What the frell do you think?  You should not be walking about on your own.  You are not completely healed."

            John sighed dramatically, "Geez, mom, I can take care of myself you know.  I don't need you to follow me around everywhere I go."

            Aeryn shook her head in disagreement.  "Well too bad John.  You don't get any say in the matter.  Juli and I both agreed that one of us is to be with you at all times.  Your ability to attract trouble means that you can't be left alone."

            John got indignant, "Hey, I do not attract trouble.  Trouble attracts me.  I can't help it that wherever I go, people are trying to kill me."

            Aeryn smiled at John and then said sarcastically, "Of course not John.  Because nothing that you have ever done has ever caused someone to want to kill you.  You're just misunderstood."

            John finally moved closer to Aeryn and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders.  John grinned and pulled her closer to his body.  "Finally, someone who understands the real me.  Now if only everyone else in the galaxy loved me as much as you did."

            Aeryn playfully jabbed John in his stomach with her elbow.  "I did not say that I was in love with you.  All I said was that you were misunderstood.  I barely tolerate you."

            John let go of Aeryn and moved away, feigning hurt.  "Fine, I can see when I'm not wanted.  At least I know that Winona will never treat me like you do.  She's good to me, unlike some women I know."

            "Hey!  I treat you good.  I haven't tried to beat the dren out of you once since I've seen you.  That has to be some kind of record for me.  Usually I can't go through the day without feeling the urge at least once."

            John laughed loudly and Aeryn smiled a big smile.  John really loved it when Aeryn smiled.  "You know Aeryn, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you, but then I see you smile and I'm reminded why."

            Aeryn blushed a deep red and shyly turned her head away.  Despite the fact that she regularly received comments like that from John, she never got used to them.  Aeryn spoke very quietly, "Thank you John."

            John stopped joking and said seriously, "I'm serious Aeryn.  You should really smile more.  It makes you look even more beautiful than usual."

            If it was possible Aeryn became even more embarrassed.  She needed to change the subject before she let her emotions gain complete control over her.  Right now she was feeling an intense urge to just grab John and kiss him, not to mention do other things to him that she shouldn't dwell on too long or she might really lose control.  She haltingly began speaking, "We should go John.  I'm sure the others are just as worried about you as I am."

            John sighed.  He had felt the intense look that Aeryn had given him.  He had seen the want in her eyes, the same want that was in his eyes as well.  But once again, Aeryn had closed herself off to him.  

            John could feel the tension between them, and decided to inject some humor into the situation before things got too uncomfortable.  "Good idea, Aeryn.  I need to find Rygel and kick his ass.  The little slug needs to die."

            Special Directorate Fleet Admiral Ev Bach felt the Marauder set down inside the cavernous hangar bay of the command carrier _Silyk_.  Bach slowly eased himself out of his seat and straitened out his uniform.  He moved toward the exit and waited for his honor guard of six Peacekeeper officers to move ahead of him.  Once they were in position, he walked down the descending ramp.

            His honor guard kept pace with him as he walked purposefully to the man waiting for him on the other side of the landing pad.  The man waiting for him was the _Silyk's_ captain.  As he was walking, he scanned his brain for all the relevant information that it contained on the captain.  He knew his name, Captain Hart Breve, knew that he was a dedicated, decorated, and capable captain, and he also knew from the Special Directorate's own files on the man, that he was not considered very intelligent.  Bach knew what that meant.  It meant that he had the abilities to be captain, but didn't posses that extra something that allowed someone to move any higher in the ranks.  Bach was thankful that the captain possessed that flaw.  It would make what he had to do easier.

            As soon as he was in range of the captain, the captain snapped to attention and saluted Bach.  Bach returned the salute and waited for the captain to begin.  There were certain procedures that they had to get out of the way before they could get down to the matter at hand.

            The captain did not disappoint the admiral.  "As captain of the command carrier _Silyk_, I recognize and acknowledge the authority of Fleet Admiral Bach to assume command of this ship and its crew.  This ship is now yours to command, admiral."

            Bach gave the captain a perfunctory nod.  "Thank you Captain Breve.  I accept your offer of command."

            Breve nodded, turned on his heel, and began walking out of the hangar bay.  Bach was right at his side, with Bach's honor guard trailing behind them.  As they were walking, Breve began talking.  "I am assuming that you want to visit the bridge before I show you to your quarters."

            Bach spoke in a clipped tone, "You are correct in your assumption, captain.  My quarters will have to wait.  I wish to break orbit and make for the rendezvous point immediately."

            The group halted in front of one of the ship's transport tubes, and waited for one to arrive.  While they waited, Bach studied the man standing next to him.  Breve seemed to be waging an internal war.  Bach found it amusing.  He could tell that the captain was not used to such intense introspection.  

            It was one of the reasons why he was doing what he was doing.  Bach considered the Peacekeeper suppression of emotions to be one of their most damaging flaws.  While he knew that emotions could be a great weakness, he also knew that they could provide a soldier with great strength as well.  It was a dangerous trade off, but it was one he felt the Peacekeepers should risk.

            After what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, the captain seemed to have solved his internal debate.  Upon finishing, Breve immediately asked a question.  "Permission to speak freely sir?"

            Bach gave the captain a thin smile and nodded his head.  He felt that whatever the captain was about to say would be very entertaining.

            "Sir, what are you doing here?"

            "What do you mean, captain?"

            Breve responded, "Well sir, it's just that I don't understand.  The _Kraylor_ is a flagship, sir.  You should be on your own ship, not on mine.  It is one of the newest, most advanced, and most heavily armed ships in the entire fleet.  Why would you not want to take it into battle?  And another thing, sir.  Why are we meeting up with the other fleet?  Is Rotar not our target?  Shouldn't they be rendezvousing with us?"

            Bach was surprised by the captain's questions.  It showed a surprising amount of thinking on his part.  Which was something that he was not known for.  Bach would have to make sure that he stopped thinking or else his entire plan might be ruined.

            With as much force and command as he could put in his voice, he responded to the captain's questions.  "Why I have chosen to do the things that I am doing is none of your concern, captain.  You need only concern yourself with my orders and the running of your ship.  I would hate to think that you are questioning my orders.  To do so would put your career in significant risk."

            Bach felt intense satisfaction when he saw the blind fear appear on the captain's face at the mere mention that he might question the orders of someone of Bach's status and rank.  Bach knew that if there was one sure fire way to make a Peacekeeper do what you wanted, it was to threaten their career.  A normal Peacekeeper would do just about anything to make sure that he stayed a Peacekeeper.

            Now that Bach was sure that he had the captain in line, he softened his tone a little.  "I realize that you are only interested in maintaining the safety of your ship and it's crew, captain.  However, such insubordination will not be tolerated while I am in command.  Do you understand captain?"

            Breve nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yes sir.  I understand completely.  It will not happen again."

            "Good.  See that it doesn't.  I would hate to replace an officer of such skill and potential."

            Breve straitened a bit at the admiral's compliment.  He was about to thank the admiral for his kind words when the transport pod finally arrived.  All eight Peacekeepers moved into the pod, and as soon as it was sealed, the pod moved at a brisk pace toward the ship's bridge.

            Lorana stood on the bridge of the Peacekeeper command carrier _Kraylor_, and felt a brief flare of exhilaration and satisfaction.  She finally had command of her own ship.  Unfortunately, that satisfaction was tempered by the fact that she only had command of the ship because her father was dead.  Well, he wasn't really dead yet, she knew, but he might as well be.  She knew that he wasn't coming back from his attack on the Scarrens, and so she had already started herself thinking that he was dead.  It was her way of grieving and dealing with the pain.  As long as she thought of him as dead, she could begin the healing process.  She knew that to some it would seem heartless, but it was the only way she knew how to deal with pain.

            Besides, she knew that her father wouldn't want her to be overwhelmed by grief.  He had raised her to be a soldier, and she had every intention of becoming what he wanted her to be.  It was a way of honoring his memory, by becoming what he loved so much.

            She could fully grieve later, when the war on Rotar was complete.  While the Peacekeepers were, for all intents and purposes, defeated, there were still pockets of Peacekeeper resistance peppering the surface.  The _Kraylor_ would go a long way in ensuring that the Peacekeepers were completely defeated.

            Lorana moved to her large command chair and sat down.  After getting comfortable, she studied the extremely efficient bridge crew.  Her father had hand picked each and every one of his bridge officers.  They were people who were loyal to their commanding officer, and not to their uniform.  Which was a very rare quality in the Peacekeepers.

            They were easily the best crew in the fleet, and Lorana trusted them implicitly.  She knew that all of them believed in the admiral's cause, and had no problem fighting their own people.  They wanted reforms as well.

            She knew that they had their reservations about allying themselves with aliens, but as long as Lorana was in charge they would do whatever they were told, no matter how uncomfortable it might make them feel.  

            Lorana was about to ask for a status report, when the comm officer drew her attention.  "Captain, we are receiving a comms transmission from the planet's surface.  It's Commander Crichton."

            Lorana smiled slightly before responding, "Excellent, put him on the main viewport."

            The comm officer answered briskly, "Yes, sir."  She pressed some buttons on her panel, and John's smiling face suddenly appeared on the bridge's main viewport.

            "Howdy, Captain!  It's so good to finally see a familiar face on one of these command carriers that keep popping up in my life.  Anyways, the reason that I'm callin' is because, well now that we got the PK's on the run and all, I figured that Moya and Talyn could finally leave that asteroid belt and enter the planet's orbit.  I sure would like to visit home."

            Lorana smiled, "Of course, John.  I will notify them immediately of your request.  I'm sure Crais will appreciate finally being able to leave that field.  I could tell way back when I visited Moya that he was not happy in being stuck there.  Although he will probably be disappointed that all the fighting is over."

            John looked pleasantly surprised, "Whoa, Captain Crunch is here?  Why didn't someone tell me?"

            Lorana looked confused, "You're happy to see him?  I was under the impression that you two did not get along well."

            John said sarcastically, "Whatever do you mean?  My boy Crais and I are like this."  Lorana could see John hold up one of his hands and she could see that two of his fingers were crossed, one over the other.  She didn't quite know what that meant, but she assumed that it meant that they were close.

            "In that case, I'll be happy to send Crais down to the surface to meet you.  I'm sure you two have much to catch up on."  Lorana said laughingly.

            John laughed as well, "No need to get carried away, captain.  I'm sure Crais is more than perfectly fine where he is."

            Another face suddenly appeared on the viewport next to Crichton.  Lorana recognized the person as the former commando, Aeryn Sun.  Lorana heard Aeryn remark to Crichton in a half serious tone.  "Stop flirting John, and concentrate on the matter at hand."

            Lorana saw John turn to the woman in surprise.  He retorted indignantly, "Hey!  I am not flirting I am merely being friendly.  It's called being a polite conversationalist, a skill you obviously haven't learned yet."

            Aeryn frowned and then shoved John out of the way.  Soon it was just Aeryn filling the viewport.  "Look captain, just send Moya the message that it's safe to come out."

            John again reappeared in the viewport and this time he pushed Aeryn out of the way.  He turned to face Lorana with a big smile on his face, "You'll have to forgive Aeryn.  Sometimes she forgets her manners.  What she meant to say was that as soon as it is convenient for you to do so, would you please send the message to Moya."

            Lorana heard Aeryn's voice come from off the screen, "I did not!  I meant exactly what I said."

            John frowned in the direction of where Aeryn was saying before turning back to face Lorana.  "Also, in a few arns, I wouldn't mind visiting your new ship.  I only saw a small portion of it last time, and would really like to get the full tour."

            Lorana nodded her head.  Unlike John, she interpreted his request as an order.  It didn't matter how nicely he put it, it was all the same to her.  "Of course John, it would be my pleasure."

            John grinned boyishly, "Great!  Well, I gotta go.  I'll be seeing you."  With that said, John's image disappeared from the viewport and the screen went blank.

            Bach surveyed the assembled group in front of him.  Eleven of the best Peacekeeper captains in the entire fleet were sitting in front of him, and all eleven of them were scared drenless of the great Ev Bach.  That thought caused a small smile to grace Bach's lips.  It was an amazing feeling, to have such power and influence over other people.  Especially people who were quite powerful in their own right.

            There were in actuality twelve Peacekeepers sitting at the table, but Bach didn't count the only lieutenant sitting at the table as worthy of his attention.  The lieutenant had been the executive officer of Captain Brevel, before the captain had foolishly got himself killed down on Rotar, and was only at the meeting as a courtesy to his ship.  If there had been enough time, the lieutenant would have been replaced by a suitable enough candidate from High Command.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time and for the crew of the command carrier _Hyfel_, they were stuck with an inexperienced new captain.

            Bach had convened the meeting of the twelve commanders for the purpose of discussing their battle strategy for attacking the Scarrens.  Before they did that though, Bach needed to tell them that they were actually going to be attacking the Scarrens.  Bach was definitely looking forward to what the reaction was going to be from the twelve when they found out what their new mission was.

            Well, there was no time like the present.  With a calm voice, Bach began speaking to the assembled group.  "As you all know, the rebels on the planet of Rotar have defeated our forces.  High Command initially sent this fleet under the auspice of sterilizing the planet of Rotar of all alien influences.  Unfortunately, that goal is no longer possible.  Shortly before convening this meeting, I personally received new orders from High Command.  Our mission goal has changed."

            Bach stopped talking to gauge the reactions of the twelve other people in the room.  Bach was not disappointed.  He had hoped to get a reaction out of them, and from the looks on most of their faces he had succeeded.  It was so rare to see shock or surprise on the face of a Peacekeeper.

            Captain Breve, who was one of the captains sitting closest to Bach, spoke up.  "Sir, if I may ask, what new orders?  I was under the impression that High Command considered the sterilization of Rotar to be a priority."

            Bach nodded his head at Breve's comments, "You are correct, captain.  However, High Command's priorities have changed."

            "May I ask a question, admiral?"  This time it was a different captain who spoke up.  Bach studied the captain who had interrupted.  She was the most senior captain of the group, the captain that had been in charge of the battle fleet until Bach had assumed command.  She was highly intelligent, and was considered a prime candidate for promotion.  Bach would have to be very careful when dealing with her.

            "Of course you may, Captain Sorel."

            "Thank you sir.  I would like to know why High Command changed their orders so quickly.  I had been given specific instructions by High Command to rendezvous here with you and then proceed to the planet of Rotar.  High Command would have told me if our orders had been changed."

            Bach could feel anger enter his voice as he responded, "Are you accusing me of lying about our orders?"

            If Sorel was aware of her precarious position, she did not show it as she continued on.  "Of course not.  I am merely wondering why I was not informed of our new status.  It is most unusual."

            Bach calmed himself somewhat before he spoke, "High Command received new intelligence that caused them to change their orders.  They did not have time to go through the proper procedures.  Regardless of why the orders have been changed, I would like to remind you captain, that you are no longer in command.  I do not tolerate insubordination of any kind from the officers under my command, and if you question me again, I will have you removed from command and placed under arrest.  Do you understand me?"

            Normally, Bach would not have disciplined a subordinate in front of any one else, but Bach needed to make a lesson out of her to the other officers in the room.  He had to keep everyone under his control.  It would be the only way for him to successfully complete his mission.

            Thankfully, Sorel seemed to understand Bach's reprimand, and she stiffly sat down.  It was obvious that Sorel was not used to taking orders from someone, and was even less used to being disciplined by a superior officer.  Bach would have to keep an eye on her.  She could be a real problem, especially if she felt resentful.  Bach had learned a long time ago that Peacekeepers were very vindictive.

            Bach said condescendedly, "If there are no more interruptions, then I will inform everyone of our new orders."  Bach then pressed several buttons on the table in front of him, and a holo-image appeared on the wall to the left of the table.  Everyone turned in their chairs so that they could see the image.  The image showed a map that was divided into two parts.  On one part there was an area of space that was obviously under Peacekeeper control, while the other part contained the area of space that was controlled by the Scarrens.  "Because of the recent uprising on Rotar, and the subsequent outbreaks of rebellion on other planets in this sector, High Command had ordered this fleet to sterilize the planet of Rotar and put down the rebellions on the other planets while they were still in their infant stages.  Unfortunately, those orders changed five arns ago when High Command received some very disturbing intelligence.  High Command has learned that the Scarrens plan to use this breakdown of Peacekeeper control to establish a foothold in this sector.  High Command feels that that is unacceptable and must be stopped at all costs.  The Scarrens cannot be allowed to establish a presence in this part of the Uncharted Territories.  To allow them to do so, would give them unfettered access to this quadrant and a open corridor to Peacekeeper space."

            Bach stopped talking as the image zoomed into focus on the area of space where the fleet was currently stationed.  The image showed the fleet and its relative position to the Scarren border.  On the other side of the Scarren border, there was an icon that represented the presence of a Scarren fleet.

            "As you can all see, intelligence believes that a Scarren battle fleet is being organized just half a light year from the border.  Special Directorate believes that once the fleet has been completed, the Scarrens will launch an attack on this sector.  With their first target being the Peacekeeper fleet headquarters for this sector on the planet of Granilet IV.  Granilet IV is heavily defended, but it cannot hope to survive against a full Scarren invasion fleet."

            Bach paused and had to swallow.  It was becoming increasingly harder for him to talk for a long period of time, as he got older.  "Our orders are very simple.  We are to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Scarren fleet, and destroy them before they are able to reach full strength."

            What Bach had just told them, had of course been a lie, but there had been some truth to it.  Special Directorate had known for some time that the Scarrens had been building up a large fleet right along the border.  They had assumed that the fleet was only for defending the border, but certain people suspected, and Bach was one of them, that the Scarren fleet was not for defense but for attack.

            When Bach had heard about the Peacekeeper battle fleet coming to Rotar, he had instantly thought of the Scarren fleet.  It was perfect for his plan.  While the Peacekeeper fleet would be able to hold its own against almost any foe, it would be no match for a Scarren invasion fleet.  Not only would they be outnumbered at least two to one, but they were close enough to three major Scarren outposts that could easily reinforce the Scarren fleet if they had too much trouble.  The Peacekeeper fleet would be wiped out, and the attack would stall the Scarren invasion long enough to give John some time to figure out a way of defending Rotar.

            Bach refocused his attention back on the room, "If no one has any pressing concerns, we will leave immediately for the border."  Bach turned to Breve, "Captain, signal the fleet.  We leave immediately to the coordinates I gave to you earlier.  Move us out at maximum speed.  We must use whatever advantages we have if we hope to defeat the Scarrens."

            Bach then addressed the rest of the captains, "Brief your crews and prepare your ships for battle.  We will have the element of surprise, but the Scarrens will not be easily defeated.  Dismissed."

            As everyone left the conference room, Bach leaned back in his chair.  He rested his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.  It would take three arns to get to the border, and that was plenty of time to contemplate his mortality.

            John felt the transport pod settle down on the deck of Moya's hangar bay.  He excitedly got out of his seat and made his way to the exit.  It had been more than a quarter of a cycle since he had been on Moya, and John was looking forward to seeing everything and everybody that he had missed.

            As soon as the ramp was down, John rushed down it and made his way straight towards his module.  Seeing it still in one piece, he let out a contented sigh, and ran his hand across its hull reverentially.  As he did so he said out loud, "Oh baby, I missed you.  Pilot's been taking good care of you, hasn't he?"

            Pilot's holoimage appeared on the clamshell.  "Of course I have Commander Crichton.  I have not let anything happen to it during your absence.  I knew that you would be back and would look forward to seeing your module again."

            John smiled at Pilot's image, "Pilot!  It's so good to see you man."

            Pilot warmly replied, "I am happy to see you as well, as is Moya.  She wishes me to express her happiness at seeing you again."

            John grinned, "Yeah, well tell Moya that the feeling is mutual."

            Pilot responded, "Moya says thank you and is happy that you are now home."

            John walked closer to the clamshell, "You and me both Pilot."  John paused and looked around the bay.  He frowned, "Hey Pilot, where's Princess and AstroBoy?"

            A look of consternation crossed Pilot's face, "Well, Jool is in her lab and said that she did not want to be disturbed under any circumstances.  And Stark is well…Stark.  I do not know exactly where he is, but he has been acting even stranger than usual for him, and the last time I saw him he was ranting around Zhaan's former quarters.  Do you wish me to locate him for you?"

            John shook his head, "Nah, Pilot's that's all right.  Leave the guy alone.  It doesn't really matter, I was just curious that's all."

            John then turned back to the transport pod, and stared at it intently.  _What is taking them so long_, he thought at seeing that no one had followed him out yet.  John moved back to the ramp and shouted up into the pod, "Hey up there!  What the hell are you guys doing up there?  You aren't killing each other are you?"

            John saw Aeryn appear in the doorway with a frown on her face.  "Of course not John.  Unlike some people, we have more self-control than that.  Besides, since someone left the pod so quickly, we had to unload the pod all by ourselves."  Aeryn then started walking down the ramp with a large load of stuff in her arms.

            John got embarrassed and mumbled an apology, "I'm sorry.  I kinda forgot about that."

            "That's alright, John.  I know how important being back here meant to you.  I don't mind."  John heard from above him.  John looked back to the pod and saw Juli coming down with a load of stuff in her arms as well.

            John turned to look at Aeryn smugly, "See, she understands and doesn't care.  That's why I like her more."

            John heard Aeryn mumble her response in Sebacean.  His translator microbes only managed to pick out words like 'kill' and 'John'.  All in all it was a pretty typical Aeryn response to one of his jokes.

            Just then, John heard a rumbling sound and looked over his shoulder.  The rest of his "escort" had just arrived.  When John had told everyone of his plan to leave Rotar and visit Moya, he had met surprisingly stiff resistance.  According to Toben and the rest of the Rystalva's leadership, it was too dangerous for him to leave the security of the planet.  Especially if he planned on visiting Lorana's carrier after visiting Moya.  Krant had been doubly opposed to that.

            John had insisted though, and since Toben and the others knew how stubborn and pig headed John could be, had agreed to him going, but under one condition.  He had to take his security detail with him.  John's initial reaction had been to refuse, but he had recognized early on that arguing with Juli and Toben about his safety was a futile gesture.  So he had compromised and allowed the Magnificent Seven to accompany him.  Of course Aeryn had insisted on going as well, and John didn't even bother arguing with her because he knew it would be pointless to do so.

            John, Aeryn, and Juli had taken a transport pod, while the Seven rode along in four Prowlers and one Marauder.  The Marauder was along for when they went to the command carrier.  A Marauder was significantly faster, more maneuverable, and more armored than a transport pod was.  If they needed a quick getaway, then the Marauder would be his ticket for getting out of Dodge.

            John waited for his guards to disembark from their ships.  Soon all seven of them were walking towards him.  The composition of the Seven had changed quite a bit since its inception.  It had initially started out with two Rotarians and five Sebaceans, and while the numbers had stayed the same, the only person in the Seven from the original group was Juli.  All the other original members had either been killed or wounded so badly that they could no longer do their job.

            The two Rotarians were rather young and were brothers.  Juli had told him that they were actually twins; something she had said was extremely rare in Rotarian society.  Tall, solidly built, and covered in black fur, the twins were supposedly some of the few Rotarians who could actually use Peacekeeper weapons.  That was the biggest reason why they were part of the Seven, they could shoot, and they were extremely loyal to John.  John couldn't pronounce their names, so he just called them Bert and Ernie.

            The other four Sebaceans, Juli was a separate category all to herself, were very similar to the two Rotarians.  Two of the four were young but very experienced fighters.  Teln was an excellent shot with pretty much any weapon, and Resa had extensive medical knowledge.  The other two Sebaceans were old friends of John, Vorel and Graf.  Since coming down to the planet as John's liasions to Admiral Bach, the two Peacekeepers had become trusted and integral parts of the Rystalva.  They had actually volunteered for being part of the Seven.

              "Hey guys!  Hope you had a nice flight?"

            Vorel laughed sarcastically, "As nice a flight as can be expected when flying a Prowler.  I cannot understand how you pilots can stand to fly those things.  They are so ungainly and confining."  Vorel spoke to Aeryn with contempt in his voice.  Vorel truly hated the Prowlers.

            Aeryn bristled with anger.  Few things could get Aeryn truly angry; John and someone insulting her Prowler were about the only things.  "The Prowler is not an ungainly craft, it is perfectly designed for combat in space.  It is the most superior space fighter in the galaxy."

            John laughed at the look of anger on Aeryn's face.  "I'm sorry Vorel, but you know the twins can't fly or even fit into a Prowler.  They had to go on the Marauder, and we needed four Prowlers, so you got the shaft."

            Vorel just grumbled as he and Graf moved off to talk to Juli.  Well, Vorel moved to talk, Graf just followed.  John had always wondered why Graf never said anything, and a few weekens ago Vorel had told him why.  It seemed that Graf had been injured in a battle and had lost the ability to speak.  He had a piece of shrapnel hit him in the throat and he had had his windpipe crushed.  The Peacekeeper Diagnosans had been able to save his life and repair the external damage to his throat, but they had been unable to restore his ability to talk.

            Normally, Vorel had told him, if a Peacekeeper had been injured as severely as Graf had, he would have been "retired".  John knew exactly what that meant.  It seemed that the inability to speak was seen as a serious detriment to being a good soldier.  The only thing that had saved Graf had been having an admiral interfering on his behalf.  Bach had seen Graf's potential to still be a good soldier, and had asked for his transfer to his command.  Graf had immediately become one of Bach's most trusted aids.  Bach could tell Graf anything and never worry about him ever informing anyone of his actions.

            John clapped his hands together, startling everyone.  "Alright everyone, its time for the grand tour.  Follow me.  What you are about to see will shock and amaze you…"

            "Status report, captain!"  Bach barked out.

            Bach received his answer quickly, "Sir!  We are 100 microts outside of our target coordinates.  The fleet has moved into attack position and the flight deck reports that the Prowlers are armed, manned, and fueled up to go."

            Bach smiled a grim smile, "Excellent captain.  As soon as we are within range, launch all fighters, raise the defense screen, and arm the frag cannons."

            Breve walked over to the tactical station and looked over the shoulder of the tactical officer at the tactical display.  Speaking to the tactical officer, he repeated Bach's orders.  "As soon as we slow to attack speed, send the order to launch all Prowlers.  As soon as the bays are empty, raise the defense screen and arm the frag cannons.  Tell the gunners that they have authorization to fire as soon as they can lock onto a target."

            As soon as he was finished, Breve moved back towards his console near the admiral.  His console had its own tactical display, allowing him to receive all the data from the battle so that he could properly inform the admiral of the fleet's progress.

            "Time to intercept, captain?"

            Breve answered immediately, "Fifty microts, sir."

            Bach leaned back in his command chair and surveyed the bridge.  Dozens of bridge personnel were scurrying around, preparing for the rapidly approaching battle.  Bach just relaxed.  In the three arns it had taken the fleet to reach its ultimate, and final, destination, Bach had fully come to grips with the reality that he was going to die.  It was an amazing feeling really.  Once a man accepted, truly accepted, that he was going to die, he could accomplish anything.

            Turning to his fidgeting captain, Bach calmly asked Breve a question.  "Do you know what makes us better than the Scarrens captain?"

            Breve looked at Bach with surprise and confusion on his face, "I don't know sir."

            Bach let out a short laugh.  "An honest answer.  I must say I'm surprised captain, I was expecting you to spout out the party line."

            Breve, still looking confused, stated, "Perhaps this is not the best time for this discussion admiral."

            Bach just smiled, "Nonsense captain.  What better time than now, when we are about to face the Scarrens in battle.  You see captain, despite the fact that the Scarrens have bigger and better ships, despite that they outnumber Peacekeepers, and despite that they are immune to the damaging affects of Heat delirium, they will ultimately fail in their conquest of the universe.  You know why that is captain?"

            Breve shook his head, "No sir, I have no idea."

            "I'll tell you why, captain.  It isn't because Sebaceans are stronger, or smarter, or even more technologically superior.  No, it's because of one simple, fundamental rule of nature.  Those that know how to adapt, survive.  The Scarrens are too stuck in their ways.  They do not react well to unpredictable situations."

            Breve just looked at Bach strangely.  Bach just sighed.  The captain still didn't understand.  Oh, well, that just meant Bach would have to show him what he meant.  "Captain, I believe that we have arrived.  Slow to attack speed and launch the fighters."

            Even though Breve did not comprehend what the admiral was talking about, his incomprehension did not stop him from following orders.  Falling back on his Peacekeeper instincts, Breve immediately shifted his mind onto focusing on only one thing, the battle.  Breve began barking out orders, "Helm, slow to attack speed, and set an intercept course for the nearest enemy vessel.  Flight, launch all Prowler squadrons and establish a defensive screen around the ship.  Tactical, as soon as the Prowlers are away, raise the defense screen and activate the frag cannons."

            All three officers responded with the appropriate affirmative response, and went about carrying out their orders.  Bach couldn't help but admire their efficiency.  While they would never be as good as his own bridge crew, they were certainly better than most.  Breve had trained them well.

            Breve studied the tactical display at his terminal.  He could see the Peacekeeper fleet spread out and move towards the large Scarren fleet in the distance.  Breve knew that it would have been impossible to attack the Scarrens with total surprise, but it was obvious from the seemingly chaotic scene outside that the Scarrens hadn't been expecting them so soon.

            The Peacekeeper fleet had reverted back to normal engines once they got within 100 metras of the enemy fleet.  The plan had been that as soon as they arrived, the twelve command carriers would launch all of their Prowler squadrons; twelve on each ship, and the squadrons would then create a protective screen around the command carriers.  The protective screen would allow the command carriers to focus their attention on the enemy capital ships, instead of having to worry about any Scarren fighter craft.  Plus the Prowlers would be able to shoot down any incoming missiles heading for their ships.

            The admiral had decided that each carrier would also get two cruisers as escort.  It would be their job to draw fire from the main Scarren ships, and assist the Prowlers in their destruction of any Scarren fighters.  It had been a good plan in theory, but Breve knew that very few plans ever lasted past first contact with the enemy.  Breve knew that it would take all the skill, know how, and luck of every Peacekeeper in the fleet to possibly have a chance at winning the battle.

            Breve continued studying the tactical display and saw that the forward elements of the fleet, the carriers _Hyfel_ and _Serilt_, had just begun engaging the closest Scarren ships.  Breve could see the two carriers firing their massive frag cannons at a Scarren dreadnought, while their escort cruisers and Prowlers opened fire on the dreadnoughts fighters.

            Breve saw the dreadnought's defense screens collapse under the combined assault of the two carriers, and the _Serilt_ launched a barrage of missiles.  The missiles homed in on the dreadnought's bridge area and slammed into the ship.  Huge explosions rocketed out of the massive hole created by the missiles, and the ship veered sharply away from the battle.  The dreadnought was no longer a threat.

            However, three Scarren dreadnoughts and four of their cruisers appeared to take the place of the destroyed dreadnought, and they opened fire on the two carriers.  Now Peacekeeper defense screens are some of the strongest and most durable in the galaxy, but Breve knew that no ship could withstand a bombardment of that magnitude.  The screens on the hammond side of the _Serilt_ collapsed, and the Scarrens exploited the opening.  Missiles from two cruisers and frag fire from a dreadnought impacted against the side of the carrier, and fire flared out into space.  The four Scarren cruisers continued firing into the damaged carrier, as the three dreadnoughts turned their attention to the _Hyfel_.  The _Hyfel_ tried valiantly to stand its ground, but its defense screens soon fell as well.  

            Breve heard Bach speak up while he was watching the destruction of the two carriers.  "Captain, order the _Serilt_ and _Hyfel's_ cruisers to pull back and assume escort positions around the carriers _Byta_ and _Onyx_.  The _Serilt_ and _Hyfel_ are no longer combat effective and no longer have need of a screen."

            As if to emphasize the admiral's point, Breve saw the _Serilt_ and _Hyfel_ flare up in huge explosions, and then vanish from the tactical display.  "Yes, sir.  Tactical, order the cruisers into defensive positions around the _Byta_ and _Onyx_.  And tell the squadron commanders of the orphaned Prowler squadrons to retreat as well."

            The tactical officer went about commencing his orders and Breve turned back to the admiral.  "Captain, do we have a positive confirmation yet of the size of the Scarren fleet?"

            Bach looked down at his display and visibly paled at the numbers listed there.  Regaining control, he turned back to face the admiral and spoke in as unemotional tone as he could manage.  "Yes, sir.  Sensors indicate that there are eighteen capital ships, forty five cruisers and other light attack vessels, and, uh…it looks like if sensors are correct there are fifteen troop transports as well."

            Bach smiled grimly, "So Special Directorate was right after all.  We had assumed for some time that the Scarrens were planning an invasion, but we had no idea they were this far along."

            Bach stopped talking for a few microts and then stood up out of his chair.  "Captain, our priorities have now changed."  He looked down at Breve's display.  "Breve, order the _Byta, Onyx, Serrel_, and _Tavera_ to form up on our position.  We must destroy those transports.  Those are now our primary targets."

            Not wasting time to respond, Breve turned to the tactical officer and repeated Bach's orders.  

            Bach moved back to his chair and sat down heavily.  He had to destroy those transports.  He knew that each Scarren transport could hold up to twenty thousand troops.  If those troops made it into the Rotarian system, everything that he and John had been working for would be over.  Peacekeepers were one thing, but Scarrens were another thing entirely.

            "Captain, prepare the ship for combat.  We will lead the attack ourselves." Bach ordered.

            Breve turned to look at the admiral with hesitation.  "Sir, is that wise?  We should avoid combat as long as possible.  If you are killed, then there will be no one to command the fleet."

            Bach frowned, "I understand that captain, but we have no choice.  We will need half of what remains of our forces to occupy the bulk of the Scarren fleet, while the rest of the fleet attacks those transports.  Every ship is needed, and that includes us.  It can't be helped."

            Breve nodded his head and began to issue his orders.  Bach felt the ship's engines activate, and the ship began to softly rumble as the engines went to full power.  "Captain, order the _Byta_ and _Onyx_ to attack the two dreadnoughts at these coordinates." Bach pressed a few buttons on the console of his chair, which sent the coordinates to Breve.  "Then have the _Serrel_ and _Tavera_ clear a path through those six cruisers protecting those transports.  When the path is cleared, we will move in and destroy those transports ourselves." Bach felt the ship begin to move.  

            Suddenly Breve spoke up in an excited voice, "Sir!  The _Gutay_ has just been destroyed, along with its two cruisers."

            Bach frowned deeply.  The _Gutay_ was Captain Sorel's carrier.  He was surprised and disturbed.  The _Gutay_ had been ordered to protect the _Silyk's_ flank.  Now the portion of the fleet designated to distract the Scarrens was down to only four carriers.  He would have to shift ships over to reinforce the weakened position.  "Captain, send our cruisers and one each of the _Byta's_ and _Tavera's_ cruisers to reinforce the hole the _Gutay_ created."

            Breve saw the four cruisers move toward the position holding back the bulk of the Scarren fleet only twenty metras away.  Breve felt naked without his escorting cruisers, but he knew it was necessary.  Breve also knew that every ship sent to hold that position would be destroyed.  There was just no way the Peacekeepers could hold back over fifteen dreadnoughts and thirty Scarren cruisers with only four carriers and a handful of cruisers.  They needed to only hold back the Scarrens long enough so that they could destroy the transports.

            Bach felt an explosion rock the ship.  "Status, captain?"

            Breve responded quickly, "Missile hit, sir.  Hammond side.  The screen is holding."

            Bach just nodded his head as Breve studied his display.  He saw the _Byta_ and the _Onyx_ move off to engage the two dreadnoughts protecting the transports.  Under normal circumstances, the four ships would have been evenly matched, but the Peacekeepers had the advantage of having cruisers in support of their attack.  Breve saw the _Byta_ and its three cruisers launch missiles at the dreadnought on the left.  The missiles collapsed the defense screens along the dreadnought's front end.  The _Byta_ then unleashed a deadly barrage from its frag cannons that carved large slashes into the hull of the ship.  The dreadnought was venting atmosphere into space.  The killing blow came from a pair of missiles from the _Byta_, hitting the dreadnought amidships and splitting the massive vessel in half.

            Meanwhile, the _Onyx_ was having more difficulty with its dreadnought.  The dreadnought, more prepared than its partner, had already launched multiple missiles at the _Onyx_ and opened up with its cannons.  Two missiles hit one of the _Onyx'_s four cruisers, obliterating almost half of the ship, while four more impacted along the _Onyx's_ rear.  Breve saw the _Onyx's_ engines explode and explosions rocketed down along the carrier's hull.  The _Onyx_ was not out of the fight though, and fired a broadside at the dreadnought while the carrier's three cruisers fired everything they had at the dreadnought.  Multiple missile impacts along the dreadnought collapsed their screens and the _Onyx's_ frag cannons finished the dreadnought off.  Unfortunately, the _Onyx_ was completely stuck, and with no engines, the ship was as good as dead.

            Bach saw the whole thing.  "Breve, send the _Onyx's_ remaining cruisers to escort the _Byta_ and send the _Byta_ to reinforce our flank."  Bach waited until Breve relayed his orders before issuing his next orders.  "Status on the _Serrel_ and _Tavera_?"

            Breve looked down at his display, "Sir, the _Serrel_ and _Tavera_ are engaging their targets as we speak."

            The Scarren cruisers tried their best to protect the fifteen transports, but not even six Scarren cruisers were a match for the two Peacekeeper vessels.  Within the first forty microts of the fight, two cruisers were destroyed and one was permanently disabled.  The remaining three cruisers managed to significantly damage the hangar bay on the _Tavera_, temporarily preventing it from sending or receiving ships, but that was the only damage they managed to inflict on the two carriers.  By the time Admiral Bach and the _Silyk_ reached maximum firing range on the transports, the Scarren cruisers were nothing more than floating debris.

            Breve announced their arrival, "Admiral, we have reached optimal range on the Scarren transports."

            Bach nodded his head with a grave look on his face.  Despite those transports being filled with thousands of Scarrens, it still made him uncomfortable just slaughtering them.  But it had to be done.  "Understood captain.  Tactical, you may fire at will."

            Bach heard a slight wine and then the ship bucked softly as the carrier's frag cannons opened fire on the lead transport.  Bach saw the frag pulses engulf the lead ship, overwhelm its meager defense screens, and breach the hull.  The ship soon exploded into a massive fireball.

            Soon the _Serrel_ and _Tavera_ engaged the Scarren transports as well, and the Scarren vessels began rapidly disappearing off the tactical display.  In even less time than it had taken to destroy the transport's escorts, all fifteen transports were annihilated.  

Bach let out a huge sigh in relief when he saw that all the enemy transports were gone.  It would take the Scarrens a long time to recover from the blow Bach had just inflicted, and Bach hoped that he had bought John some more time.  Sure the Scarrens could still invade, even though it was highly unlikely, but if they did, they would be seriously undermanned and most likely unable to sustain a long confrontation.

Now all Bach had to worry about was ensuring the destruction of what was left of the Peacekeeper fleet.  "Breve, inform the _Serrel_ and _Tavera_ that they are to immediately reinforce the carriers protecting our flank."

Breve looked at the admiral in shock, "But sir, why?  We have already seriously hampered the Scarrens ability to launch an attack on this sector.  To continue attacking would be foolish and suicidal."

Bach looked at Breve sharply, "I don't remember asking for your opinion when I gave you your orders captain.  I have my orders just like you have yours, and my orders are to destroy that Scarren fleet no matter what.  I intend to follow those orders to the best of my ability, or die trying.  We are Peacekeepers and Peacekeepers do not retreat from combat.  Do you understand me?"

Breve swallowed, and nodded his head numbly.  Turning around slowly, he ordered the _Serrel_ and the _Tavera_ to move towards the Scarren fleet.  And Breve soon felt his carrier move after them.

Despite the many amazing things that John had seen in his lifetime, especially since coming to the Uncharted Territories, seeing the command carrier _Kraylor_ rapidly filling up the viewscreen of the Rystalvan Marauder, was one of the most awe inspiring.  John had seen some big space ships since arriving on the other side of his wormhole, but none of them reached quite the size of the _Kraylor_.

The ship was at least one and half times bigger than a normal command carrier, at least two metras long and almost three quarters of a metra across, it had more than twice the number of weapons, and its defense screens could easily stand up to an attack from at least two Scarren dreadnoughts.  It was, essentially, one big ass ship.

Not only did the _Kraylor_ have more weapons than the normal command carrier, but as John was seeing up close and personal, it also had a much bigger hangar bay.  When John had been inside the hangar bay the first time he visited Lorana's carrier, the hangar hadn't looked nearly as big.  John figured that the hangar bay was actually big enough to almost fit Moya in it.

John felt the Marauder touch down gently on the hangar floor, and he moved to the exit.  He of course had to wait until his guards moved first.  The twins, Bert and Ernie, disembarked from the Marauder first, Peacekeeper rifles at the ready.  Juli and Aeryn followed them, and when Juli finally sent John the all-clear signal, John finally left the ship.  John didn't know what the big deal was.  He trusted Lorana, and knew that he would be safe while on board her ship.

Speaking of Lorana, John saw her waiting for him just a few feet from the Marauder.  She was dressed in her captain's uniform and it seemed that she had some form of an honor guard with her.  There were six Peacekeepers, all dressed in their full uniforms, lined up on either side of Lorana.  They were all armed and John briefly worried that Aeryn or the others might mistake them for having a hostile intent.  Not that it mattered.  With the arrival of the rest of John's escort, the four Prowlers, John and the Seven outnumbered Lorana and her guards.  Trying to break the tension that might soon arise, John set off at a brisk, deliberate pace for Lorana.

John stopped in front of Lorana and smiled.  Lorana snapped to attention and saluted John.  "Sir, it is my honor to welcome you to the command carrier _Kraylor_."

John sighed, "Damn't!  Didn't I tell you to knock it off with all that saluting and crap?"

Lorana smiled a sheepish smile, "Sorry, John.  Old habits die hard."

John grinned, "Don't I know it!  I've had this habit of chewing on my thumb since I was a teenager.  It drives me crazy, but no matter how hard I try to stop, I can't seem to do it."

Lorana laughed lightly, "Come on John.  I'll give you that tour you wanted.  I think we'll take you to the bridge first.  I think that you might find it especially 'educational'."

  Breve was thrown to the ground as the carrier was rocked by another massive explosion.  A missile had just hit the carrier, near the hangar bay, and a gaping hole appeared in its defense screens.  Breve picked himself up and braced himself against his console.

Bach meanwhile was sitting safely in his chair.  He was far from calm however.  "Helm!  Turn the ship immediately.  We must not expose our weakened side to enemy fire.  Captain, order the cruisers _Crest 2_ and _Crest 6_ to cover our hammond side." 

Breve felt the ship turn, just as pulse fire from a dreadnought hit the ship in the rear.  Thankfully, the screens held.  Breve looked down at his tactical display and saw that things were far from going very well.  There were only three functional carriers left, the _Byta_, _Silyk_, and _Tavera_, and only five cruisers to protect them.  The other four carriers had been destroyed long ago.

Bach had ordered the remaining ships into a last ditch formation of concentric circles.  The three command carriers made up the inside of the circle while the cruisers and whatever remaining Prowlers formed the outer circle.  Breve couldn't help but admire the admiral's idea.  Having the ships being so close to each other not only allowed them to fight without having to worry about somebody coming from behind them, but it also allowed the three carriers to extend their defense screens over each other's ship.  In effect, each carrier had multiple layers of shielding.  It was the only reason why they hadn't been destroyed yet.

Breve continued to study his display and smiled in grim satisfaction.  Somehow they had managed to inflict severe casualties on the Scarrens, despite being outnumbered and outgunned.  Breve chalked it up to Admiral Bach's brilliance.  Of the fifteen dreadnoughts that had originally been attacking the Peacekeeper's left flank, only nine remained, and two of them were barely functional.  The number of cruisers left was a little higher, but they had taken heavy losses as well.

Breve looked up towards the massive viewscreen of the carrier and saw pulses of light, explosions, and ships moving about in the blackness of space.  Suddenly the viewscreen was filled up with a bright light, and a huge explosion rocked the ship.

"What the frell was that?"  Bach shouted to no one in particular.

Breve looked down at his display and noticed with dismay that the _Tavera_ was no longer showing.  "That was the _Tavera_, sir.  It has been destroyed."

Bach spoke in alarm, "What?  How the frell did that happen?"

Breve shook his head as something rocked the ship.  "Unknown sir.  One microt the _Tavera_ was there, and the next it was just gone."  Breve looked down at his display again.  "Sir, the remaining Scarren ships are closing on our position."

Bach was about to respond when the tactical officer shouted out, "Incoming!  Tracking six, I repeat, six missiles on an intercept course for our position.  Contact in ten microts!"

Bach responded immediately, "Full power to the screens!  Helm, begin evasive maneuvers.  Expose our strong side to the missiles."

The tactical officer continued counting, "Contact in 3…2…1.  Contact!"  

All six missiles hit the command carrier _Silyk's_ strong side, but it didn't matter.  The first four missiles only hit the screen, draining all its power and leaving a gigantic hole.  The last two hit the command carrier with such force that the explosion alone physically moved the ship almost two metras to the side.  Explosions in a chain reaction spread up and down the hull, from the engines in the rear, all the way to the bridge on the other end.  Fire raged across the hull, and almost every single deck on that side of the ship was exposed to space.

Amazingly, the bridge was still intact, but barely.  Several consoles had exploded, and many Peacekeepers were lying on the floor dead.  Various fires burned along the room, as beams and other parts of the room collapsed inward.  

Bach was amazed that he was still alive.  He had been thrown from his chair, landing on a console hard.  He knew that several of his ribs were broken, he had a large gash along his forehead, and he was fairly certain that his left shoulder had been dislocated.  But he was still alive, and that meant that he could still fight.

Bach gingerly pulled himself over to the captain.  Breve was lying face down on the floor, and Bach was unsure if he was still alive.  He slowly rolled the captain over, and Breve let out a low groan.  Slowly, Breve opened his eyes and saw the admiral standing over him.

Groggily Breve asked in wonder, "I'm still alive?"

Bach smiled, "I'm as surprised as you are, captain.  Come on, get up, we still have a duty to perform."

Breve slowly got to his feet and moved to his tactical display.  Things were not good.  "Sir, our defense screens are gone.  Weapons are gone, comms are gone, sensors are barely functional as are the engines."

Bach thought carefully before speaking, "Route as much power as possible to the engines.  Just because we no longer have any weapons don't mean we can't fight."

Breve understood what the admiral was saying.  "Routing power to the engines.  Engines are at 67% efficiency.  I'm afraid that's the best we can do sir."

Bach moved to his chair and sat down in it proudly.  "That's more than adequate.  I believe the honor should be yours captain."

Breve nodded his head, "Thank you sir."

The carrier began building up speed as Breve directed the carrier at a group of congregating Scarren dreadnoughts.  All he would have to do was hit one ship, and the resulting explosion would be more than enough to destroy any nearby ships as well.

Bach turned his head to look at the captain.  "Breve, I'm afraid I have a confession to make."  Bach saw that he had Breve's attention before he continued, "When I first met you, I thought that you were competent but far from anything special.  I was sure that you would forever remain a captain, never to reach any higher position.  But I was wrong.  You are far more than just a competent captain.  You are one of the finest officers I have ever served with, and it has been my honor to join you in battle.  I only wish we had met sooner.  I have a feeling that we could have gotten around rather well."

Breve was speechless.  No one had ever said something so nice to him before.  It made him feel unbelievable proud that an admiral, an admiral of Bach's status no less, thought he was a great captain.  "Thank you sir.  It has been my honor to serve with you as well."

Bach just smiled and turned back to face the viewscreen.  He could see a Scarren dreadnought rapidly enlarging in the screen.  Bach just relaxed and enjoyed his last few microts of existence.

Unfortunately, those microts didn't last very long.  In a last microt attempt at stopping the speeding carrier, its intended target fired a missile into the front of the ship.  The missile vaporized the bridge, killing Bach and Breve instantly, but it was too late.  The command carrier _Silyk_ had already built up too much speed, and there was nothing the dreadnought could do.

The _Silyk_ hit the dreadnought exactly in its middle and exploded, taking the dreadnought with it.  The resulting explosion from the two massive ships engulfed one neighboring dreadnought and three cruisers, and created such a massive explosion that it was said it had been seen more than two systems away.

The first battle between the Peacekeepers and the Scarrens was now over.  However, the war was only beginning.  

Side Note: Sorry, for taking so long to update, but after hearing of the cancellation of my favorite show, I lost the motivation to write for a few days.  I finally got over my funk, and tried to finish this chapter as fast as I could.  I hope you like it.  It took me a long time to write the battle scene between the Peacekeepers and Scarrens, and would like to know what you thought about it.

            I initially meant to add more to this chapter, but after finishing the battle scene, I felt the chapter would be better off ending where it did.  This means my final chapter, my epilogue, will be slightly longer than I intended.  It should be out in the next few days though.

P.S.  In case anyone wants to e-mail me, I have a new address.  Send your love/hate mail to treepump999@hotmail.com.  Thank you for your time.


	15. The Weight of the Universe

**Title:** Rystal

**Author:** DOKChairman

**Time/Spoilers:** I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies.  Everything before that is fair game.

**Summary:** After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet.  He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.

**Disclaimer:** "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia.  The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.

**First Author's Note:** Where to begin?  Well, I think I'll start with the most important.  Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed my story.  You're reviews gave me the motivation to finish this story.  This story was a labor of love, taking me months to finish, but it was worth it because my fans liked it.  Thank you all.

**Second Author's Note:** Let's see.  I have reached a decision.  I have decided to continue this story into its second part: Mr. Crichton Goes to Washington.  Look for it to come out in a few months.  I don't know when specifically because I am writing a different story for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom, and I don't know when I'll start on the new part.  I will continue though.

**Third Author's Note:** The second part of my story will take place on Earth.  Because of its location, it will be mostly about exploring each character's personality and back-story.  Juli's defection from the Peacekeepers will be explained, the Rystal mythology will be explored in more detail, as well as John's relation to the Ancients.  John will have to make big decision about the war and Earth's place in it.  Look forward to action, assassination attempts, romance, death, football, pizza, and of course more comedy.  And oh yeah, how could I forget?  Look for Scorpious to finally make an appearance.  I know everyone has been wondering about him. 

**Fourth Author's Note:** I know I promised to tie up more loose ends, but I decided not too.  You will have to wait to part two to find out what happens next. 

"Perhaps you can.  You have every incentive.  The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."

            "What good is incentive?  If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."

-Isaac Asimov, _The Robots of Dawn_

Epilogue: The Weight of the Universe

Takes place simultaneously with the end of _Necessary Evil_-

            John had never been on the bridge of a command carrier, and it showed.  He couldn't stop staring at one thing or another, always moving from one console or display and asking questions about what each thing did.  John was acting like a kid in a candy store.  For a few microts, John allowed himself to forget about everything, and let his scientific mind take over for a little while.  It had been so long since he had.

            John's guards were spread sporadically around the bridge, just standing in place.  John had wanted them to go do their own thing, especially Vorel and Graf who had served on the Kraylor and almost certainly had people they wanted to see, but Juli had insisted that they accompany John everywhere.  They didn't seem to mind though, and so John hadn't argued for very long.

            Meanwhile, Aeryn, Lorana, and Juli were standing off to the side, talking.  Lorana asked Aeryn, "Is he like this all the time?"

            Aeryn smiled and said affectionately, "Yes.  You get used to it though.  To be honest, I missed seeing him act like the wide eyed human who was amazed and curious about everything he saw."

            Juli nodded her head, "I understand.  I haven't seen him look so eager or smile so much since I've met him.  This was a good idea for him to come here."

            Lorana added, "Well I'm just happy I could help him out.  I've seen how much leading this war has burdened him, and its great that I coul…"

            Lorana was cut off as a blinding white light filled the bridge of carrier.  The light slowly faded, and everyone looked out the viewscreen of the bridge to see what was going on.  All anyone saw was the dying light off in the distance.

            John in his typical manner yelled out, "Holy hell!  What was that?"

            Lorana instantly sprung into Peacekeeper mode.  "Sensors, report!"

            The sensor officer was quiet for a few microts as she studied her console.  "Unknown, ma'am.  Whatever it was, it originated from more than two light years away, on the other side of the border."

            Lorana deflated at hearing that, she knew what had just happened, and from the look on John's face, he did too.  Lorana was stopped from responding by the Comm officer, "Ma'am we are receiving a signal on an open comm frequency.  It's broadcasting to everyone in the sector."

            Lorana ordered, "Let me hear it, lieutenant."

            The comm officer nodded his head and pressed a few buttons on his console.  The carrier's comm system came to life and everyone on the bridge could hear the transmission.  "This is Captain Nas of the Peacekeeper command carrier _Byta_ to any Peacekeeper vessel.  We are under attack by a Scarren fleet and are in need of immediate assistance.  Please, can anyone help us?"

            Everyone could hear explosions over the comm. and there was static.  Suddenly the captain's voice came back on.  "Admiral Bach is dead and we are the only command carrier still intact.  Send immediate reinforc…"

            The captain never finished his sentence as a large explosion could be heard and then there was static.  This time the captain never came back on.

            Everyone on the bridge froze when they heard that Bach was dead.  They were all stunned.  They had all known that he would die, but it never hit them until now.  He had been there commanding officer for most of their military careers, and in some ways he was like the father they never had.  The news hit the crew hard.

            Lorana, though, was quick to get everything back under control.  To her, her father was already dead.  She had felt a brief feeling of grief and despair, but she quickly squashed it.  She had already done her mourning and now she needed to be strong for the crew while they did theirs.

            In a commanding voice she ordered, "Comm, turn that off."

            The comm officer, still in a daze, slowly turned off the communication transmission and leaned back in his chair.

            John had moved over to Lorana during the message and was prepared to comfort her as best he could.  Tentatively, he turned her around.  "Are you all right?"

            Lorana smiled weakly, "Yes, John, I'm fine.  I mourned for my father arns ago.  It is the crew we must worry about.  My father was a very important person in their life and even though they are professionals, it will take them a while to accept that their admiral is dead."

            "I understand.  Are you sure you're going to be all right?  Be honest.  I don't want to find out later that you were only faking it."  John said sternly.

            Lorana sighed, "Yes John, I'm sure.  Now if you'll excuse me, I must talk to my crew and get them back under control."

            Lorana turned around and then stopped.  She moved her hand down to a pocket and pulled something out.  She turned back around and said, "I almost forgot.  My father wanted you to watch this.  He said it was very important."  Lorana then handed John a vidchip.

            John stared at the chip and then asked, "You got anywhere where I can watch this?"

            Lorana nodded, "Yes.  Have Vorel take you to my father's quarters.  He has a vid display that you can use there in total privacy."

            John patted Lorana on the shoulder and then moved over to where Vorel was standing.  Aeryn and Juli were right behind him every step of the way.

            John relaxed in the admiral's plush chair and pressed the button on the console to activate the vidchip.  Admiral Bach's smiling face appeared on the display.  "Hello, John.  If you're watching this, then it means that I've already left for the Peacekeeper fleet and will soon be dead.  Don't feel sorry for me.  I'm a Peacekeeper and a Peacekeeper deserves to die in battle."

            The admiral paused and then continued, "You are a good man, John Crichton.  A little strange, but a good man nonetheless.  I could not hope of finding a better man than you for what I'm about to ask of you.  I ask that you take care of my daughter.  She is still young, and while she is an excellent soldier and leader, she is still not ready to be on her own.  Teach her and guide her to reach her full potential.  Help her like you helped Officer Sun.  If anyone can make sure that Lorana does not become another mindless Peacekeeper it is you."

            The admiral paused again and looked off to the side, away from the recorder.  When he turned back to face the recorder again, he looked sad.  "Now I must do something I do not want to do.  At the end of this message is a list.  Contained in this list are the names of every Peacekeeper admiral, general, commandant, and Special Directorate operative that is sympathetic to your cause.  Or I should say, my cause.  They, like me, wish to remake the Peacekeepers into what it was.  I ask that you contact them and ask them for their support in your fight against the Peacekeepers.

            "I know that you had hoped when the Peacekeepers were gone from Rotar, that you would be free from your responsibilities, but we both know that's not possible.  As soon as I attack that Scarren fleet, everything is this universe will change.  Neither side will care about who started it, or what started this war; all they will care about is making sure that they win.  Unfortunately, I do not think that the Peacekeepers can win, at least not as we are.  I think that the only way that the Peacekeepers will have a chance at winning is if new blood is injected into them.  You are that new blood John.  You can change everything.  You have the power, the gift, and with the support of the Peacekeepers on that list, you can change the Peacekeepers for forever.

            "Tell these Peacekeepers that you had my support and that if I was willing to follow you, they should as well.  I ask you to fight the Peacekeepers and make my dream come true.  I know you'll do as I ask, because you know that it's the right thing to do.  And because the only way you will have any hope of defeating the Scarrens is if you join forces with the Peacekeepers.  I will try to damage the Scarren fleet as much as possible, but it will only be a matter of time before the Scarrens set their sights on Rotar.

            "I am sorry to do this to you John.  I wish that I could be there, but this is something I must do.  Good luck.  May the gods of war smile on you and grant you victory over your enemies."  At least that's what Bach said, John heard only Sebacean.

            Bach's face disappeared from the display screen, and just as he promised, a list of names appeared.  When John saw the list he sat up a little straighter.  He was amazed at the number of names.  John could see that there were at least thirty names, all of them very high-ranking members of the Peacekeepers.  The admiral hadn't been kidding when he said that there were admirals and generals on the list.  Over half of the names were fleet commanders.  

However, it was the name at the bottom of the list that made John go as stiff as a board and dry his mouth out.  At the bottom of the list, in bold type, was a name that he knew all too well.  Down at the bottom of the list was the name of the man that had haunted his nightmares for over a cycle.  At the bottom of the list was the name Scorpious.  

The End

To be continued in part two of the Rystal Trilogy: _Mr. Crichton Goes to Washington._


End file.
